Wednesday, 01 November 2023 09:42

Farm closure

Written by  Milking It

OPINION: At a time when some people are working to narrow the rural-urban divide, one Canterbury school is closing its farm.

Rangiora High School is exploring opportunities to make its farm relevant in the 21st century, according to its board of trustees. The board is excited about moving away from "a more traditional farm to an outdoor lab or outdoor classroom".

A review of the farm's future means the future of animals at the school was under consideration. Options included moving from rearing lambs to fattening stock, or moving away from animals altogether.

The world is shifting to be more sustainable and shifting away from meat, so we need to prepare our students, says the school. Really? One would have thought that with 80% of students from urban areas, the farm would be an opportunity for the school to narrow the rural-urban divide and show what sustainable farming in NZ really is.

More like this

Rural bias?

OPINION: After years of ever-worsening results from our education system, the startling results from a maths acceleration programme stood out like a dog’s proverbials – the trial producing gains of one full year in just 12-weeks.

Featured

Nedap launches standalone operation in New Zealand

With collars on more than seven million cows worldwide, Nedap says its standalone launch into New Zealand represents world-leading, reliable and proven smart technology solutions for dairy farmers.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

No show

OPINION: There will be no cows at Europe's largest agricultural show in Paris this year for the first time ever…

More cows, less barley

OPINION: Canterbury grows most of the country's wheat, barley and oat crops. But persistently low wheat prices, coupled with a…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter