Gippsland - How Now Gippy Cow
November 2010 Edition
Dairy programs in schools
Cows Create Careers rolled through 20 Gippsland secondary schools again this year.
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John Versteden with the winning senior team from Hillcrest Christian College |
The overall winning schools were Hillcrest Christian College (senior competition) and Elizabeth Murdoch College (junior competition). The winning teams were from Leongatha Secondary School (senior competition) and Swift's Creek College (junior competition). John Versteden, chair of GippsDairy, handed over the awards at the October presentation day and spoke of the importance of dairying in Gippsland. GippsDairy and Dairy Australia funded Cows Create Careers along with support from Murray Goulburn, Reid Stockfeeds, Landmark and Shoof International.
Cows Create Careers is a six week program that students in years 7-11 participate in to learn about dairying and rearing calves as well as meeting farmers, vets and other dairy people. Most people probably don’t know that the national program was developed in Gippsland by the Strzelecki Lions Club in 2004. In 2010, it was delivered to 6,000 students in 175 schools across New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Cows Create Careers is one way that Dairy Australia uses milk levy funds to increase awareness of agriculture, farming and dairy opportunities to secondary school students. Dairy Australia also works with primary school students using the Picasso Cows project. This is responsible for the beautifully painted fibre glass cows that are starting to populate schools across the country.
Coming soon will be another initiative for secondary students. It has the aim of making it easier for students wanting agricultural work experience to get onto dairy farms. Cows Create Careers sparks so much interest that it has been hard to find enough farm placements for year 10 students. The new project will also help farmers prepare for the hosting of work experience students as well as provide a path for schools to channel young people onto farms.
Lots more information is available about Cows Create Careers and Picasso Cows at www.dairyaustralia.com.au
Contact: Danielle Auldist on 5624 3900 or executiveofficer@gippsdairy.com.au or visit www.gippsdairy.com.au
