Did you know?

Over 3 billion people now rely on food grown somewhere else and transported to cities, a number likely to grow to an astonishing 7 billion by 2050!


Trials of genetically modified crops.



In the next 50 years we will need to produce as much food as has been consumed over our entire human history just to feed the world's population.



Australia feeds not only its own population but another 60 million people in other countries. The average Australian eats about 33kg of beef per year. Most Australian families eat two meals of beef each week.

We are one of the most efficient producers of cattle and the second largest exporter of beef in the world. We supply about 4% of the world's beef. These exports are worth over 2.5 billion dollars to our economy.



Australian beef cattle being expoted to Japan



Live cattle exports going to the Middle East



Are agriculture innovation, efficiency gains and intensification important for our quality of life?

Topic:

Agriculture is always changing.

 Sometimes the change offers opportunities

 for innovation and improvement though

 there are always obstacles to overcome.

Talked about the meaning of the key words:

Efficiency gains: ability to produce a high quality animal for a suitable market using the lowest amount of resources (including feed, water, management)and still meeting market requirements. Market requirements may include: fat score, organic or non-organic farming methods, consumer demand, and healthy product and weight of the animal.

Intensification: includes the use of resources (labour, area, equipment, expenses)

Quality of life:  good animal management (husbandry activities) = happy consumers, happy farmers, happy cattle

Succession Plan: management, long term goals for the farmers to sell the farm to different members of the family

Productivity: Cost v’s product

Scenario

Farmer Bill and Bess currently feed 600 people from their mixed farm of x hectares. The Dept. of main roads is going to resume Y amount of land for the new highway going past their farm.

They also have an opportunity to sell z hectares for a housing development. They want to continue farming and succession planning for their family of 1.8 children and allow their daughter to continue to run the farm business when they retire.

 How can they do this?

opportunities	threats
Money from selling the land	noisy
More people around - jobs	pollution
neighbours	Children could hurt themselves on the new road
Better access to human resources such as sewage and clean water and internet connection	Less land to farm on
Better access to farming staff	More likely to be more development in the area
Transport availability for farm products	They may need to reduce their stocking rate
Services may be cheaper	Problem with neighbours
More social opportunities	Less privacy

Group’s responses

1.     A millionaire wishes to buy the property? OPPORTUNITY/ THREAT

2.     They have another child? Threat and an opportunity

3.     Social gains, fashion gossip, friends, kids involved in a more social life

4.     There could be a car accident/ car could run into the house? THREAT

5.     They will get more updated technology: OPPORTUNITY

6.     MORE CUSTOMERS: OPPORTUNITY/ but will they be able to meet consumer demand

7.     There could be more C0₂ pollution? THREAT

8.     Livestock could die causing them to lose their way of life? THREAT

Swot analysis (please refer to picture from white board)

our SWOT analysis

Learning about innovation

Focus Question: How can Bill and Bess continue farming and succession planning for the family of 1.8 children and allow their daughter to continue to run the farm business when they retire?

1.     Gather all background information

2.     Clarify the main priorities

3.     The first meeting

4.     Investigation

5.     Decisions

Efficiency gains: Can they still meet consumer demands for 600 people on less land? Through technology, innovation and development and uptake of new varieties new techniques for the family.

Are they still going to have the same quality of life?

Productivity: Can they produce the same on smaller land area? Think about stocking rate? Animal welfare?

Solutions

1.     The cost of new equipment from sale of housing may enhance the productivity of the farm

2.     Ensuring the family and the farm are meeting their productivity goals and meeting consumer demands may compromise the welfare of their stock?

3.     The new housing developments may bring people with education and farm skills which they could bring to the farm

4.     Volunteer work may be an option

5.     Put strategies/ innovations in place with the money gained from building the road to ensure survival of the farm for future generations

Please refer to some pictures gained from this weeks work

Stuart and Ashlee

Sweetie on the move

at the farm

"Can I stay here with Nulla, Creamy and Finch?"

Zia and Creamy our Square Meater

Marni and Ashlee

Stuart

Creamy

Planning and Brainstorming at the farm

Finch is very cute




Is Farming Innovative?

Farming has been used since the begining of humanity whether it be growing crops, milking cows or breeding sheep. Due to rapid population growth, more pressure has been put on farmers to create innovative technologies to keep up with the demand for agricultural products. Ideas such as selective breeding, genetic engineering, biotechnology, the national livestock identification scheme and improved feeds have helped farmers to stock the shelves and meet high consumer standards.

The beef industry in collaboration with the sheep industry has developed the Target 100 initiative which aims to improve practises, increase biodiversity, manage water resources, reduce greenhouse emissions and promote soil health therefore leaving the land in better condition resulting in higher quality produce for generations to come. 



Farmers want Australians to know how they are achieving sustainable outcomes. Farmers also see themselves as custodians of the land and believe they have a responsibility to manage our land in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way.

A very important innovation within the Target 100 of sustainable farming is the use of dietary supplements that reduce methane production leading to less carbon emissions from the industry as a whole. Not only will this be cost effective but it will also help to reduce the effects of global warming.

Cows produce an astonishing 250L to 500L of methane per day! This methane comes from the microbial activity in the rumen which the first of the four stomachs the cow.



Different factors influence that amount of pollution that cows produce such as they type of carbohydrate, amounts of food processing and the amount of food consumed.

Naming our cow

Lynne Strong introduces us to the program

Sweetie at the school farm

Our entire group was very excited at the thought of getting to name the cow. The group passed around many ideas for names such as Betsy, Bessie, Angus, Lady Abigail and T-Bone. After all of our brainstorming we came up with the final name of Sweetie Meaty Pie. We look forward to painting the cow in the near future and bringing it to life.

Archibull kicks off at Shoalhaven High

Our team in their first brainstorming session

getting ideas down

completing the entry survey

Ashlee, Natasha and Marni sharing ideas

Mrs Pain with Alissa, Ashlee and Narelle

the ideas start to flow

Today we had our first gathering of students who are interested in being part of our Archibull team here at Shoalhaven High School. Lots of brainstorming with ideas flowing......

Archibull at Shoalhaven High

There has been lots of excitement in the school since our cow arrived last Thursday. After being released from the confines of bubble wrap and enduring a long truck journey our cow was free to explore her new surroundings. She met the dairy calves, tried to find out what her timetable was from the ladies in the front office and ended up in the Principal's office before escaping to the memorial Anzac garden. 

unwrapping

meeting our dairy calves from Cows Create Careers

"Do you think she's our Mum?"

Queen cow is carried around

Down to the front office

reporting to the Deputy Principal

trying to find out what her timetable is

In the principal's office

"Ah so this is where the buses pull up"

off to the memorial garden