Educational resources for schools & students
Read, listen to and watch what is happening in New Zealand agriculture by scanning the QR codes or following the links. Answer the questions to complete the exercises.
In the news
What are the opportunities in the dairy industry?
Kiwis are being encouraged to consider joining the dairy sector, with lots of on-farm jobs available now. The GoDairy campaign looks to connect Kiwis with the latest farm assistant vacancies.
bit.ly/dairy-careers
Have a go:
1. When did Waikato farmer John Gibson start his dairy career and did he have any prior farming experience?
2. How much money does the dairy industry contribute to the New Zealand economy annually?
3. How many people are employed in the dairy sector, and how many of those are on-farm?
Stretch yourself:
4. Think about the production of milk from the time a calf is born until the milk bottle is in your fridge. How many jobs can you count?
For more see godairy.co.nz
Did you know?
What is Honest Wolf?
Sophie and Sam Hurley from the Turakina Valley, Hunterville, saw an opportunity to use wool directly from their farm to create products and start their own business.
bit.ly/honest-wolf
Have a go:
1. How did the banning of plastic bags lead to the creation of the Honest Wolf Casual Shopper?
2. What other products does Honest Wolf make?
3. What are the beneficial properties of wool listed by Sophie? How has this helped make this brand so popular with consumers?
Stretch yourself:
4. What are some challenges facing the wool industry and why are farmers now looking at alternative uses for their wool?
5. The brand uses clever ideas such as a farm map, including paddock names, inside the bags, and personalised notes in every package. How do things like that help create a connection between the consumer and the raw product?
6. How might producing a product that is appealing to both rural and urban customers help the wool industry overall?
For more see honestwolf.co.nz
Watch this
Why might people’s future plans for land differ?
In this Opportunity Grows Here video we meet Michelle McCabe who works for Forest360 specialising in land use planning. Find out why future plans can be different on the same land depending on the owner.
bit.ly/future-land-use
Have a go:
1. Which university did Michelle go to and what did she study?
2. What career steps did she take in between university and joining Forest 360?
3. What is the key starting point for Advisors when beginning to work with a landowner?
4. What does Michelle enjoy about her role?
Stretch yourself:
5. What is ‘land use’? List as many examples as you can.
6. Why do you think a Land Use Plan is important?
For more see forest360.nz
In the news
Can taking a photo save paperwork?
New Zealand company Hectre’s Spectre app uses artificial intelligence to size and colour grade apples and pears. The information helps growers to determine if they are picking at the best time to get the optimum price.
bit.ly/fruit-tech
Have a go:
1. What does the Spectre app do?
2. What was the main problem growers were facing?
3. How many pieces of fruit has the Spectre app graded?
Stretch yourself:
4. What was the first step in developing the Spectre app technology? Why do you think this step was important?
5. The Spectre app is being used by the apple and pear industry. What other parts of the food and fibre industry do you think might use technology like this in the future?
For more see hectre.com