Rabobank's Rabo Community Fund, in collaboration with the educational entertainment brand 'George the Farmer', distributed book packs – totalling more than 1,000 books – to learning institutions across Australia during this year's Book Week.
The specialist agribusiness bank – in partnership with George the Farmer – awarded 72 book packs, each containing a collection of all 14 Australian-made George the Farmer picture storybooks, to primary schools, kindergartens, pre-schools, early learning centres and childcare centres around the country to integrate into their learning programs and share in their libraries.
Rabobank group executive for Country Banking Australia, Marcel van Doremaele said the initiative – now in its fourth year – attracted an "impressive 415 applications from large and small learning centres across Australia".
Mr van Doremaele said the interest from educational institutions – from both city and country locations – highlights the enthusiasm for children to learn about where their food and fibre comes from in an entertaining and engaging way. "George the Farmer book packs will be going out to institutions from Burren Junction in western New South Wales to North Fremantle, Western Australia," he said.
A full list of educational institutions receiving George the Farmer book packs can be found here.
George the Farmer began as an interactive story app in 2015, and founder Simone Kain has since expanded the brand to include virtual-reality experiences, music, performances and paddock-to-plate videos available on YouTube and ABC iView, alongside free, curriculum-aligned educational resources.
As an author, Ms Kain said, Book Week has become one of her favourite times of the year. "It's such a highlight to receive photos of little George the Farmers and Ruby Farmers dressed up in classrooms from across Australia – it makes me incredibly proud," she said.
"It is really rewarding to see that these characters and the agricultural themes are fostering an enthusiasm for reading among young learners."
Ms Kain said finding the right book can transform a child's reading experience. "Stories reflecting a child's own world make reading meaningful. George the Farmer was created to provide curriculum-aligned resources for all children – not just farm kids. Our platform has educated over 660,000 Australian children about food and fibre, significantly enhancing their learning," she said.
"Our collaboration with Rabobank has played a significant role in advancing literacy initiatives. Through this partnership, more than 6,000 George the Farmer books have been distributed to schools, enhancing literacy among students who face learning challenges and fostering stronger connections between children, regional communities, and their understanding of food and fibre."
The world's leading specialist food and agribusiness bank, Rabobank is one of Australia's largest agricultural lenders and a major provider of business and corporate banking services to the country's food and agribusiness sector.
"As a bank which is a global cooperative. Rabobank has a rich history of community engagement and we recognise the value of working cooperatively in local communities," Mr van Doremaele said.
In 2021, the bank launched the Rabo Community Fund in Australia and New Zealand to invest in the sustainability and vitality of rural communities.
"The Rabo Community Fund is guided by the bank's agricultural clients, who are integral to their local communities. The fund supports local initiatives with the objective of enhancing the vitality and resilience of rural Australia," Mr van Doremaele said.
He said, George the Farmer's objective of fostering children's connection to agriculture, food, and the land is closely aligned with one of the Rabo Community Fund's key focuses of strengthening urban-rural connections.
