If you had a delicious breakfast this morning of cereal with milk, lovely fresh fruit and you are wearing your school uniform – an Australian agriculturalist has had something to do with it! Agriculture has the ability to change lives and show people that you care when producing food and fibre to nourish the body.
At Caboolture State High School, our Agricultural Farm is innovative and future focused its in curriculum and purpose-built facilities across approximately six hectares. The Farm has a number of precincts within the grounds to allow for specialised and technology driven exploration of agricultural production. These agricultural production areas include beef cattle, small ruminants such as sheep and alpacas, poultry, aquaculture such as Jade Perch and Redclaw Crayfish, composting worms, European honey bees, Macadamia orchard, commercial timber trees, rowed and irrigated field horticulture, native and improve pastures and a purpose-built horticultural production nursery.
The cattle precinct is home to the long-standing Cab High Braford stud – a small herd of cattle that is undergoing genetic improvement through artificial insemination in collaboration with respected long-standing cattle industry Braford breeders. The cattle graze on native and improved pastures which provide an opportunity for students to study grass and other pasture production opportunities. Throughout the curriculum year, the school also undertakes a dairy calf unit of study where students also gain exposure to dairy cattle breed examples. The large ruminants are complimented by the small ruminants of sheep and alpacas. The cross bred sheep are purchased throughout the year to undertake feedlot trials, as well as allow for vocational certificate students to undertake husbandry and handling tasks. The alpacas provide another small animal handling and husbandry resource, as well as provide guardianship of the sheep. The cattle, sheep and alpaca resources are complimented with purpose-built resources in cattle handling yards and equipment, feeding stalls, tack room and show arena. The Braford cattle are exhibited throughout the local and regional agricultural show season in Term 1 through to Term 3.
The poultry precinct is another purpose-built facility that allows for different breeds and types, to be utilised for curriculum purposes. The poultry facilities have closed in areas to allow for protection from the weather and extensive grassed areas, as well as a dust bathing area. The poultry are free ranged during the day, while under the supervision of farm staff. This allows for students to experience the interesting and funny animal behaviours of chickens.
The horticultural production nursery is another purpose-built facility that also allows for wheel chair access throughout its entirety. There are three dedicated zones throughout, allowing for the potting of plants and germination of seedlings for use throughout curriculum and the cultivation paddocks. The third zone is a grow out and hardening off zone for plants in preparation for use in the cultivation paddocks and horticultural curriculum activities, as well as the school grounds landscaping projects. Within the second zone of the horticultural precinct is a hydroponic and aquaculture system with Jade Perch and Redclaw Crayfish. The hydroponic systems allow for students to undertake trials looking at high value, fast growing leafy greens. Students are also able to focus on sustainable protein production with a focus on Jade Perch fish feeding the hydroponic plants within the system. The sustainability focus is continued through the conversion of a 1000 litre ICB to house compost worms, which will allow for the use of worm tea and castings throughout the extensive raised garden beds that allow for extensive vegetable and flower production.
The horticultural precinct partners with approximately 1,000 square metres of rowed cultivation of vegetables and fruits such as strawberries. The cultivation area also allows for small cereal cropping trials of different legumes, such as peas and beans as well as wheat, barley or oats.