By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
IT’S a type of hands-on learning not every Victorian secondary student gets, and it all starts from the ground up.
Year 9 and 10 students at Hillcrest Christian College are growing, maintaining and caring for a small farm.
Agriculture and horticulture teacher David Lott said the students had built a glowing sweet corn crop, one so good that they had harvested it and frozen it for later.
“The students look after lambs, grow vegetables and plants and will soon be caring for some pigs and cattle, too,” Mr Lott said.
And the class has just made way for a new, five-year-old best friend, by the name of Margaret.
“Margaret is a Suffolk sheep, she will be a part of the school’s breeding program and will form the nucleus of our sheep stud,” Mr Lott said.
In his 11th year teaching at the school, Mr Lott said Margaret will act as a companion for the school’s seven lambs.
“It’s great for the students because they can learn about the sheep industry and learn firsthand how to handle, groom and prepare sheep for exhibition at agriculture shows.
“Later in the year, our plan is to take the sheep to the Royal Melbourne Show and also the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Expo,” he said.
But with more crops and animals on the way, Mr Lott said the experience was “brilliant” for students.
“The real benefits are in terms of the students’ ability to judge and appreciate animals, not just sheep and they can use the same skills they have learnt and apply them to cattle and horses.”
“Showing the animals also gives them a chance at public speaking and developing presentation skills and it’s definitely going to help them improve their job prospects.”
