20 Volume 139 – June 26, 2023
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Ag&Ed Educational resources for schools & students
Read, listen to, and watch what is happening in Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector by scanning the QR codes or following the links. Answer the questions to complete the exercises. In the news
Watch this
Why does a Farm Environment Management Planner need to spend time on farm?
How can improved GPS accuracy benefit farms? New GPS technology was launched in Southland earlier this year to provide more accuracy for farmers. bit.ly/GPS-tech Have a go: 1. What does GPS stand for? 2. What does SouthPAN stand for? 3. Current GPS accuracy is around 3m. How accurate is this new GPS system? Stretch yourself: 4. With more accurate GPS, subsoil drains are easier to find if they get blocked. What else would an improved GPS system help farmers with?
Toni Cottle is thriving in her role as a Farm Environment Management Planner. In this Opportunity Grows Here video, Toni talks about what has accelerated her learning and development and why being out on farm is important. bit.ly/enviro-planner Have a go: 1. As part of the role, why is it important to get out on the farm? 2. What excites Toni about her role? 3. What has helped accelerate Toni’s development in her role? 4. As well as topography, how many other things can you list that might be assessed when on farm? Stretch yourself: 5. Why might a farmer use the advisory skills of a Farm Environment Management Planner?
In the news
For more on agri technology see agritechnz.org.nz
Have a listen
What skills are used by an agri-banker? Jack MacFarlane works as an agri-manager for Rabobank. In this episode of Road to Rural we hear about his pathway into the position and what a typical day is like. lnkiy.in/agri-banker Have a go: 1. Which university did Jack go to and what did he study? 2. What does Jack love about being an agri-manager? 3. What skills are helpful in this role? 4. What does a typical day or week look like for Jack as an agri-manager at Rabobank? Stretch yourself: 5. What does the graduate programme entail and how does it help you find your fit within Rabobank? Head to rabobank.co.nz/graduate-careers to find out more about their graduate programme.
How are sheep affected by heat stress? AgResearch scientists are developing a tool called a heat load index to help sheep farmers better predict when their animals are likely to be heat-stressed. bit.ly/hot-sheep Have a go: 1. What is heat stress? 2. What increases the chances of an animal being affected? 3. What sort of data is going to be collected during the project and how? Stretch yourself: 4. How do you think the data and index tool will be used on farms? 5. Why is it important to have projects like this researching heat stress? How does this benefit NZ agriculture as a whole?