Hermidale's seven students have been recognised in the NSW parliament for their work transforming a donated paddock into a lush wheat crop.
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Member for Barwon Roy Butler took the time to recognise the Hermidale Public School's cropping immersion project, where the primary students have begun growing an 85-hectare wheat crop at the back of the school.
"Students will increase their knowledge of farming, working the land in a sustainable manner and develop an understanding of environmental implications facing the agriculture sector," Mr Butler said in parliament on Monday.
The crop, which will be harvested in mid-November, is estimated to generate about $40,000 for the school to help fund an annual interstate trip for the students - this year to the Northern Territory.
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The 12-day excursion will allow students to explore Darwin, visit Jabiru state school, immerse themselves in the natural beauty of Kakadu and Litchfield national parks and be inspired by the art, culture and history of Australia's top end.
Principal Skye Dedman said the paddock was donated to the school by a local farmer, an ex-student to use for the next three years.
"We have been wanting to do something like this for a few years, but with the drought it wasn't the right time," she said.
"This year, after local farmers had a pretty good year in 2021, we thought 'now's the time'."
Local farmers have donated machinery, fuel and labour with the paddock tidied up, ploughed and the boundary road graded. On Sunday the durum wheat was sowed.
All the farming work the students do is in line with the NSW curriculum, so the school links learning outcomes to the daily tasks they complete.
"Our students through this process are engaged, they're connecting their learning within the classroom with what's happening outside," Ms Dedman said.
"Especially in numeracy we've been doing some work about what ratios we need to sow the crop and the fertiliser depending on the acreage, so we're doing a lot of calculations around ratios."
She said the entire focus of the project is to show students what the agriculture industry can offer them in the future.
"There's a lot of talk about climate change, so we're teaching our students about sustainable farming practices, because for them the world is going to look very different in 20 years time," Ms Deadman said.
"So we're seeing how science is really starting to step in and see how we're going to produce food for the world, but doing it in an environment where we can sustain that.
"They are just so excited and it is a great way for them to learn how much work goes into being crop farmers."
Mr Butler said the school has proposed Melbourne for the 2023 trip, and either Tasmania or the Great Barrier Reef for 2024.
"I'd like to congratulate the team at Hermidale Public School and the community for providing this opportunity for the children," he said.
"Real life learning experiences such as these were important developing steps in supporting a positive future."
People can stay up-to-date with the project on Facebook with the Hermidale Future Farmers page.