EP Students Visited Minnipa Ag Centre

On Monday 23 October, the Minnipa Agricultural Centre hosted a student information day to showcase the Centre, to encourage student interaction and generate potential interest in agriculture.  Approximately 80 students from Cleve, Karcultaby, Miltaburra and Wudinna Area Schools attended with their teachers.

Project Manager, Naomi Scholz opened with a presentation on farm, research and extension work undertaken on the Centre, followed by Senior Research Officer Amanda Cook, presenting information on research trials.

Next, a bus tour of the farm visiting the “Time of Sowing" and the “National Variety Trials”.

Research Officer, Jessica Crettenden, then spoke about the Centre’s sheep flock and the research that she has been doing, including genetic selection, “Grain and Graze” trials, “Lamb Survival” research and the “Dryland Legume Pasture Systems” trial that will begin next year.

The tour finished with a visit to the spectacular Yarwondutta Rock, where students had a chance to stretch their legs with a quick climb!

Everyone enjoyed a delicious BBQ lunch that was sponsored by EPARF, and then finished the day with a tour of the main administration building, seed sorting room, herbage shed and a look at some of the trial research specific machinery, such as a boom spray designed for spraying plots and the drilling rig used for soil sampling.

The staff at the Minnipa Agricultural Centre hope that the schools will consider visiting again next year and attending the annual field day. Hopefully some students will now consider a career in agriculture or agricultural research. The Minnipa Agricultural Centre is always willing to host students for work experience and to assist students with information for their SACE Research Projects.

Comments received:
"The students had a great experience and it increased their knowledge of the Ag industry, it was a very successful day"
"It was very interesting....we hope we can work with you more in the future"