AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE
Farming and Livestock
Cows and Conservation
FARMING AND LIVESTOCK
Semester 1
This course aims to provide a variety of practical and ‘hands-on’ experiences in a wide range of important agricultural and horticultural enterprises. It involves working with and caring for the school farm animals, as components of studies of the Australian livestock industries. The practical component of this course will include care and husbandry of common farm livestock including sheep, cattle and pigs. The range and type of activity may vary due to the influence of factors including costs, season/weather and timeliness of operations. Students also study aspects of farm tractor safety and operation, tractor implements and the mechanisation of farming in Australia. Production and amenity horticulture are studied through the establishment and maintenance of the student gardens. Theory will cover farm safety; the beef industry in Australia; farm systems; product marketing and supply chains and farm management practices and sustainability.
COWS AND CONSERVATION
Semester 2
The main emphasis for this semester is exploring the sheep and lamb industry in Australia, combined with fodder conservation and a variety of practical experiences.
The skills component includes monitoring the pregnant ewes at Hillcrest and looking after the newly born lambs; feeding, watering and changing bedding for the sheep, and helping with the sheering and related husbandry tasks. Exploring feed options for the Hillcrest sheep, garden maintenance, safe tool handling and collaborative based skills work are further developed in the fodder conservation unit.
Theory covered over this unit includes: Health and Safety, fodder conservation, soil/plant management, farm sustainability and enterprises within Australia, marketing, farm management practices and sustainability.