Agriculture

With the Semester drawing to a close, now is a good time to reflect on the events that have taken place throughout Term 2.

Wingham Beef Week
Wingham Beef Week was an amazing success this year for our students. They experienced success in a number of areas right across the competition, from parading, junior judging and meat judging. Our steers and heifers placed well in various aspects of the competition and we had a 3rd place and 4th place in the carcase competition.

Circular Forcing Yard
At the end of 2023, we purchased a circular force yard from Brazzen Barrington Coast. This has now been fitted into place by our Year 12 Agriculture students and will enable students to work cattle in the yards much safer than previously possible. It has also improved the movement of cattle due to its closed in sides and circular motion which is more conducive to better cattle flow.

Pasture establishment
This year we have sown our winter pastures, which are composed of Ryegrass, Red Clover, White Clover and Forage Brassica. These have all germinated and should be ready for grazing in a few weeks. This will coincide with the breeding cows' last trimester of pregnancy, a time when the developing calf goes through the most pronounced growth stage. The cows were all pregnancy tested and are due to calve around mid August.

Liquid Fertilizer Application
In 2023 the farm purchased a Tow and Fert Liquid fertiliser spreader. This is a New Zealand built machine that can dissolve and spread traditional solid fertilisers into a liquid base. Doing this allows the fertiliser to be absorbed directly through the leaf surface of the plant and not through the roots via the soil as is traditionally done.

Products such as microfine Gypsum and Limestone have been spread. It is also planned to spread maintenance applications of urea and biologicals to stimulate soil microbes.

Pig Production
Our breeding pigs continue to be productive. This Term we have had two litters born. The pigs stay with their mother for a period of 4-5 weeks, before they move to the grow out enclosure on the Francis Farm. Our Year 7 and 8 students have been involved in cleaning out the deep litter enclosure. The spoiled litter is composted for around twelve months and then used to grow vegetables and pasture.