Ag&Ed | June 19th, 2023

Educational resources for schools & students

Read, listen to, and watch what is happening in Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector by scanning the QR codes or following the links. Answer the questions to complete the exercises.

What’s the issue with blanket-use dry cow therapy?

The Netherlands banned preventative use of antibiotics, and blanket-use dry cow therapy in 2012. This has resulted in a wide range of benefits, including less antibiotic resistance.

lnkiy.in/dry-cow

Have a go:

1. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Why is it something we want to avoid?

2. What is ‘dry cow therapy’ and when is it used in New Zealand?

3. What is the goal posed by the New Zealand Veterinary Association by the year 2030?

Stretch yourself:

4. In the three years since the ban there was a 50% reduction in the use of dry cow antibiotics. During the same time what was the percentage decrease in clinical mastitis cases?

5. At the time of banning blanket-use antibiotics in the Netherlands the bulk milk somatic cell count (SCC) was above 200,000 and by 2018 it dropped to about 170,000. What does the SCC indicate and why is it measured?

Did you know?

What is a co-operative?

Co-operation between people goes way back to early humanity. Learn about the modern form of co-operatives that businesses use today.

lnkiy.in/co-op-info

Have a go:

1. What was the purpose of the first recorded co-op The Penny Capitalists?

2. When was the first co-op in the southern hemisphere established?

3. This first co-op went on to become part of which leading New Zealand co-op?

Stretch yourself:

4. What are the benefits of a co-op structure?

5. What are any negatives you can think of with a coop structure?

How would you pay for new farm infrastructure?

Farmers are looking to upgrade their systems to improve environmental outcomes and business risk. Researchers have uncovered interesting finance options to fund these developments.

lnkiy.in/fund-change

Have a go:

1. What are some farm systems that need to be upgraded?

2. Composting shelters are one type of upgrade. What are the benefits for the farm?

3. What are some of the lending options looked at in the study?

Stretch yourself:

4. Why might a bank not lend money for a partial land use change?

5. Advisers have been running workshops with farmers, what are they hoping to achieve?

Have a listen

How do you build leadership skills?

Changemaker Cheyenne Wilson talks about why she loves her work as graduate Māori relationship partner for DairyNZ. bit.ly/industry-changemaker

Have a go:

1. Cheyenne worked on farms after leaving school, where did she study?

2. How do studies of the environment and society fit together?

3. What is the lens that Cheyenne brings to her work?

4. What is Cheyenne doing to help farmers in her role?

5. What does Cheyenne love and find exciting about the dairy industry?

Stretch yourself:

6. What is manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga?

7. How has Cheyenne built up her leadership skills?

Is this killer machine the future of farming?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now hard at work on American farms. New machines are used to kill weeds and harvest crops, speeding up the process. Watch this story from NBC News to see how it works on one farm.

lnkiy.in/killer-robot

Have a go:

1. What is the machine designed to kill?

2. What is AI particularly good at doing?

3. How many different crops and how many different weeds can the machine detect?

4. How many people can the machine do the work of? How long will it take to pay for with the labour savings?

Stretch yourself:

5. The American Labour Union is concerned workers may be displaced by AI. What are the ways that AI could be used to benefit workers?

6. What did the Oregan students develop? Think of and describe another way AI could be used in our food and fibre sector.

Why are daffodils being grown in the high country?

A key ingredient in Alzheimer’s medication could come from daffodil crops grown in South Island high country.

lnkiy.in/yellow-flowers

Have a go:

1. What are thought to be the benefits of growing daffodils in soggy cold conditions?

2. Daffodil production is underway in the Welsh high country. Why has New Zealand been selected as a good option to help year round production?

3. Why might daffodil crops be a good option to integrate with existing sheep farming systems?

Stretch yourself:

4. Why will it take several more years before researchers know if the daffodil plan is a good one?

5. What benefits can you think of from diversification on a farm?

...is back!

Learn about on farm scenarios, use real life case studies and understand what it takes to work in the ag sector in New Zealand. Students also have the opportunity to apply for our Ag&Ed Innovation Challenge, where 20 lucky students will work in teams to address key issues in the ag sector.

Applications are now open!

How much water does a farm need?

Farm water usage is looked at in this Agricademy video. After watching the video complete the online quiz to test your knowledge.

bit.ly/agricademy-water

Have a go:

1. To know how much water is needed per day on a dairy farm, what do you need to know the numbers of ?

2. To measure how much water is coming into the holding tank at the milking shed, what information do you need to know?

3. You can then use this figure and a formula to work out how much water is coming into the farm each day. True or False?

4. What might affect the amount of water coming into the holding tank over time?

RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS

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Thinking about a career in the primary sector?

Whether you’re just starting out, or looking for that next step, there are education and training options. Some training options are even on the job, which means you’ll upskill and learn while you are earning.

Other courses are free of charge, or have support options available.