Massey University to upskill teachers amid rising ag subject demand
There's been unprecedented demand from secondary school students across the country to study agricultural related subjects.
Rural primary schools have received more than $109,000 from ANZCO Foods as part of the company’s Sponsor a School Programme, with several recipients located in the South Island.
ANZCO Foods works with local dairy farming families who nominate a rural primary school to receive a donation from the company, that is linked to supply.
The donations mean ANZCO Foods has donated more than $1.4 million to rural schools since the programme began in 2011, and these donations have been used for a range of resources including playground bark, fruit and vegetable gardens, and extra literacy lessons.
Shannon Parnham, head of livestock at ANZCO Foods, says the Sponsor a School programme is a rewarding way to directly impact future generations and allow farmers to have a positive input into their local communities.
“It’s fulfilling to know that these donations are providing Kiwi children with tools for essential life skills,” says Parnham. “This is a company donation from ANZCO – there is no cost to participating dairy farmers.”
The five South Island schools that received the largest donations were Hinds School, Carew Peel Forest School, Dorie School, Mayfield School, and Dunsandel School.
“Our school community is very grateful for the funds donated to us through the ANZCO Foods scheme,” says Aroha Stewart, Mayfield School Principal.
Mayfield School in Canterbury will put the funds towards teacher aides that will give their students additional literacy lessons.
“Without this money, it wouldn’t have been possible to give these students the boost they needed,” she says.
St Joseph’s Opunake School in Taranaki received $3,084. Brook Murfitt, acting principal, says they are hoping to put the donation towards improving and expanding the vegetable and fruit gardens at their school.
“We are hugely appreciative of ANZCO’s generosity,” says Murfitt.
“Our school has a Student Environmental Team and part of their role is to plant and take care of five fruit and vegetable gardens. We’re looking at using the funds to purchase more plants, improve the wooden garden frames, and potentially updating our garden tools, so we can continue to look after our gardens throughout the year.”
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
Claims that some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.