PRIMARY Producers SA launched an innovative education program for school students, to explore livestock, cropping, horticulture, viticulture, forestry and sustainable water management.
The education initiative, Educating Kids About Agriculture, was hosted by the industry body and provided teachers and students with hands-on, on-farm or in-school experiences that delved into agriculture.
The program was delivered by industry experts in the classroom and provided high-quality support resources to showcase agriculture.
PPSA chair Simon Maddocks said the program had been hugely successful in SA, achieving great reach across the state.
"The EKAA Program brought together three education teams to deliver complementary food and fibre education initiatives across the state," Professor Maddocks said.
"Primary industries, and how we get food from paddock to plate, is often misunderstood, with many students unaware of how research, science and innovation are used to produce food sustainably.
"EKAA has supported the teaching of food and fibre in schools, providing teachers with interactive classroom workshops where we bring in seeds, soil moisture probes, mini glasshouses, grain mills, microscopes and other technology so students can explore the science behind agriculture."
EKAA was broken into three hubs, with Hub One delivering a program called Heathy Plants Healthy People, which explored plant structure and adaptation, plant breeding, photosynthesis, pollination and the journey of plants, such as wheat, beans and peas, from paddock to plate.
Hub One also delivered the Science Investigation Awards, which is a state-wide competition for students focusing on experimental design and research. The awards engaged 700 students in Years 4, 5 and 6.
Hub Two involved popular children's television and YouTube personality George the Farmer, with founder's Simone Kain and Ben Hood developing a series of videos for YouTube, virtual reality experiences and curriculum-aligned resource books for teachers with each focusing on a specific food or fibre.
Hub Three delivered Wickedly Water Efficient, a science-based teaching program for Year 5 and 6 students that explores the journey of water across the landscape.
It included the efficient use of water on farms to produce food and connected students to scientists, local farmers, food processing facilities and water infrastructure.
Each participating school also received a water use efficiency kit with a soil moisture probe, a range of seeds and growing resources, free downloadable power point presentations, student worksheets and activities, and live webinars with agricultural scientists and communicators.
The teachers can offer this course each year with minimal further investment.
The project was delivered with support from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment through funding from the Australian Government's Educating Kids About Agriculture initiative. Program delivery partners are AU2100, Food and Fibre Education SA and George the Farmer.
