Year 8 Agriculture - Exploring Dairy
MR CHAD RAMSAY, TEACHER - AGRICULTURE
During Term 3, Year 8 Agriculture students explored dairy production through a range of practical and hands-on learning experiences. In the classroom, students made cheese, butter, buttermilk pancakes and ice cream, as well as taste-testing and comparing a variety of dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yoghurt.
In Week 1 of Term 4, 53 students visited Belgenny Farm in Camden to explore life in an earlier era. They learnt about the history of the area and the challenges faced by people in the past, including reliance on horse-drawn transport, traditional food preservation methods, and limited access to medical facilities.
The boys also heard from Jess, an experienced dairy farmer from Camden Valley Farm, who shared insights into modern dairy production and the importance of value-adding to milk to maximise profitability. Jess explained how value-adding can benefit smaller dairy enterprises, such as her own farm, which milks a herd of just 40 cows.
To bring their learning to life, students watched a demonstration of cream being separated from skim milk before having the opportunity to milk a Jersey cow and churn their own butter. The excursion provided a valuable connection between the history of agriculture and contemporary dairy farming, allowing students to deepen their understanding of the industry from paddock to plate.
