Children may have just returned to school, but a new grant will help savvy teachers to get them out of the classroom and into the paddock.
NSW Farmers and the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment have teamed up to deliver the Kids to Farms program, and now there are $1500 grants on offer to help primary school teachers to add a farm excursion to the curriculum, after a long period of at-home learning.
NSW Farmers Young Farming Council Member and school teacher Charlotte Groves said the Kids to Farms program had been popular since its April 2021 inception, with more than 400 students experiencing a real working farm, or a farm classroom experience, or 'incursion' last year.
"Basically, the program is all about exposing young students to farming so they understand food and fibre production and are aware of the opportunities in the sector," Ms Groves said.
"Schools will be looking for something new and engaging for their students after long COVID-19 lockdowns, and we're saying look no further than a farm excursion through Kids to Farms.
"What better way to boost learning than to get a firsthand look at where our food and fibre comes from?"
Primary schools across the state have access to the Kids to Farms program, with the $1500 grants per school available until December 2022.
"The Kids to Farms program is a federally funded initiative delivered by NSW Farmers, and the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment has offered these grants for primary schools to fund a farm excursion," Ms Groves said.
"These grants make the Kids to Farms program available to more schools across the state and will especially benefit smaller regional schools.
"Kids to Farms is built on the ethos of 'two by 12', or two agriculture experiences by the age of 12, and we really want to see as many students as possible get involved."
