Selling the story of agriculture: meet the future of farming

A young Birchip farmer is calling on governments to make ag education a must at schools.

Changing the perception of agriculture while better educating school students about where their food and fibre comes from is critical to preserving the future of farming in Australia.

That’s according to a group of young agricultural advocates, such as Bill Lee of Birchip.

The 22-year-old, who grew up on his family’s fourth-generation sheep and cropping enterprise, is spending a year working on a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, after completing his Bachelor of Agriculture at the University of Melbourne.

As an alumni of AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship program, Mr Lee believes more needs to be done to educate young people about the industry.

He has called for 20 per cent of Australian schools to develop a compulsory year 9 agriculture subject.

The move, Mr Lee said, would help dispel misinformation while also encouraging more people into the industry, as job opportunities expand with technology advancement.

“The metropolitan-rural gap just seems to be getting wider and wider around what we do, and the perception of agriculture as an industry,” Mr Lee said.

“I can understand it’s seen as not as appealing as other industries … I think that can be tackled a lot earlier on.”

Bill Lee on his family’s property at Birchip. Bill is a Horizon Scholar and has a clear vision for the future of farming. Picture: Chloe Smith.

One key strategy outlined in an AgriFutures Australia report delving into young people’s perspective on the future of agriculture was changing the narrative around agriculture.

The 42 current Horizon Scholars believed agriculture was still perceived as“conservative, boring, and purely profit-driven”and suggested highlighting more positive stories of innovation, change and sustainability.

The report found investing in young people in agriculture, along with validating young agricultural leaders, was as a cornerstone for the future success of the industry.

The Horizon Scholars suggested more support for students, including scholarships for Year 11-12 students, would encourage agricultural work experience as a path into industry.

Mr Lee said all levels of government needed to invest in agriculture education.

“We need those really high-order thinkers about the issues aren’t in the paddock … we need those engineers, bioscientists, all these different people, with different ways of thinking about tackling the same issues,” Mr Lee said.