More than 200 students from across the region gathered on the property 'Elm Park' on the outskirts of Armidale last week to take part in the annual Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Schools Property Planning Field Day.
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This annual event has been going for 23 years, and in 2021 it attracted more agriculture students than any previous year.
Students from 11 schools across the Northern Tablelands participated.
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The Schools Property Planning competition gives secondary school students firsthand experience in strategic property planning to tackle the real-life challenges faced by local farmers.
The students were welcomed to Peter, and Sally Strelitz's property at 9am on Wednesday, then the history of the farm business and its current operations were explained.
Local Land Services officer Johnelle Stevens said the Strelitz family had hypothetically contracted the students to prepare a property plan that can be considered for adoption on Elm Park.
"At home, I'm used to the way we operate, so it is really interesting to see how other people run their farm," said Macintyre High School Year 12 agriculture student Sam Perrin.
"I feel like I can now solve some of the issues on our place because we have talked about similar issues and solutions at the field day.
"I'm looking forward to writing a plan that these farmers can actually use.
It's a big responsibility.
- Sam Perrin - Macintyre High School student
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services staff were on hand to share their expertise, providing additional information on soils, pastures, livestock, biodiversity, biosecurity, water quality, and Aboriginal cultural heritage.
The Property Planning Competition field day is a great opportunity to experience some of the curriculum for agriculture students in the paddock," said Bec Smith, Guyra Central School agriculture teacher.
"It exposes the students to the course by visiting a farm for hands-on, experiential activities.
Each station has something the students need to learn about for their HSC, said the agriculture teacher at Macintyre High School, David Gradey.
"And it is great when they hear about it from people other than their teacher," he said.
"It is great for our students to see other students of a similar age doing a similar thing - it helps them build networks.
"The field day makes the students think about skills outside the classroom and about what they want to do when they leave school."
Students will now take their new knowledge away to create a profitable, productive and sustainable property plan for Elm Park which is then submitted by the school as an entry into the Property Planning Competition, with the winners announced later in the year.
Most schools will also participate in a tutorial with Northern Tablelands Local Land Services Farm Planner, Johnelle Stevens to help the students understand what the judges of the competition are looking for. In the process, students will grow skills to respond to future challenges in their agriculture careers in rural and regional Australia.
Northern Tablelands Local Land Services is most grateful to the Strelitz family for opening their farm gates for the field day, and also to Schools Property Planning Competition sponsors University of New England, Meat and Livestock Australia and Regional Development Australia - Northern Inland, for supporting this event for the region's future farmers and agriculture professionals.
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Vanessa Arundale
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
