VCE agriculture the hot topic at East Loddon P-12 College

This progressive P-12 school north of Bendigo has reinvigorated its VCE agriculture program with strong support from the whole community.

Dave Smyth of seed company Pioneer and East Loddon P-12 College agriculture teacher Paula Maxted with Year 11 and 12 VCE ag students Hugh Cartwright, Jack Demeo, Will Stringer, Oscar Hocking, Jasmine Condliffe and Taylah Diss. Picture: Chloe Smith

THEY cut their teeth growing corn last year, and now these budding young farmers are nurturing three paddocks of canola, which are coming up nicely near Dingee, north of Bendigo.

Both the corn and canola crops are tended by Year 11 and 12 students at East Loddon P-12 College as part of VCE agriculture and horticulture studies.

The 230-student campus has ramped up ag-related curriculum over the past four years with donations of livestock, fencing, machinery and labour from local farmers and businesses.

“About 80 per cent of students come from farms,” said science teacher Sarah Gladman, who spearheaded the program and reintroduced the VCE course last year.

“We had all these students who were passionate about agriculture or horticulture … it was a no-brainer to get it going.”

East Loddon P-12 College VCE students (from left) Hugh Cartwright, Jasmine Condliffe, Oscar Hocking, agriculture teacher Sarah Gladman, Dave Smyth of seed company Pioneer, ag teacher Paula Maxted, students Will Stringer, Taylah Diss and Jack Demeo in one of the school’s paddocks. Picture: Chloe Smith.

With two teachers delivering the curriculum, student interest in the VCE subject has doubled in 12 months, with eight now taking part.

“Community support for the farming program is huge,” Year 11 ag teacher Paula Maxted said.

Seed company Pioneer donated canola seed for the crop. Farm service consultant Dave Smyth, from Bridgewater, works for the company and runs workshops at the school, teaching plant science and genetics.

“It is absolutely a long-term involvement, and Pioneer is looking to roll it out into other ag-minded schools in the area,” Mr Smyth said.

Year 11 student Jack Demeo, from Raywood, said the course gave him plenty to discuss at the dining table.

“We put canola in at school and have done the exact same thing at home on the farm, so you can talk about all your fertiliser rates and your seeds and growing stages,” he said. “There are a lot of things to agriculture other than putting seeds in the ground.”

MORE

ATAR 2019: EAST LODDON P-12 COLLEGE STUDENTS SCORE OVER 90

RURAL STUDENTS TACKLE THE BIG ISSUES OF AGRICULTURE

VICTORIA’S REGIONAL SCHOOLS LEAD IN VCE