Agriculture and food is on the agenda for 250 local primary school students at an education day to be held at the WA College of Agriculture, Harvey on 5 December.
The awareness day is the result of collaboration between the Department of Agriculture and Food and the WA College of Agriculture to promote the importance of food and fibre production.
Department technical officer Tom Plaisted said he was pleased to be involved in the inaugural event at Harvey and to help demonstrate that agriculture is an exciting and diverse industry.
He expects the experience to spark student interest in pursuing agriculture and food careers, and to highlight the WA College of Agriculture as a way of pursuing that interest.
“Year 6 and 7 students from Cooinda, Allanson, St Michael’s, St Anne’s and Harvey primary schools in Bunbury, Collie and Harvey will meet the people, products and processes involved in agricultural industries,” Mr Plaisted said.
“The children will be provided with a series of hands-on activities, guided by department and college specialists. These activities will include entomology, soils and salinity, biosecurity, dairy, horticulture and beef cattle.”
The department plays an important role in promoting agricultural education programs and activities and facilitating links in the agriculture and food sector in Western Australia.
Student awareness days have been held by the department, in conjunction with WA Colleges of Agriculture, in Esperance, Morawa and Denmark.
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