AgForce School to Industry Partnership Program - SIPP

The Wallumbilla Cattle Camp was started by three fathers - Mark Foster, Kyle Mellors and Nathan Valentine - in 2024, and they'll be looking on it with pride after the running of the third camp.

From dingo traps to sausage-making: Wallumbilla cattle camp does it all The Wallumbilla event is a lesson in cattle and community.

It really does take a village. 🌱

Today, we were delighted to join the Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Pick of the Crop Kitchen, hosted at Rockville State School.

With 48 students from seven schools, we explored the science and technology behind agriculture. Students used their senses to look at and taste a variety of fruits, predicting which would be the sweetest before using refractometers to test their theories.

This sparked wonderful conversations about how technology supports farmers to make informed decisions and produce quality food.

We were also treated to a delicious lunch prepared by the students using ingredients grown in Rockville State School's Pick of the Crop gardens, a beautiful example of the paddock-to-plate journey in action.

The day was filled with curiosity, collaboration and plenty of thoughtful questions from both students and teachers.

Thank you to Lucinda and the Pick of the Crop team for inviting us to be part of such a magical day, working together to educate and inspire the next generation about food production and agriculture. 💚

A former high school student from the Riverina has played a part in challenging the popular approach to the reproduction of maiden Merino ewes with an award-winning science project.

Merino makeover: student's award-winning research flips the script on ewe selection Birth type could play an important role in ewe reproduction.

Global investment firms are pouring money into macadamia orchards in the Bundaberg region, including one expected to become one of the world's largest.

The crop's environmental benefits are attracting investors despite gaps in Australia's Carbon Credit Scheme.

Tech giant Apple joins investors pouring millions into macadamias Global investment firms backed by some of the biggest companies in the world are pouring money into acquiring carbon-saving "natural capital assets".

We love a catch up with Mark, the cows and the students from Lockyer District High School each year. They were just about to hit the ring at the Ekka!

🌱 Waste to Worth: What a day!

What a fantastic day at Ekka for our Teacher Professional Development workshop!

The morning session was lead by CQUniversity Australia's Agri-tech Education and Innovation team, and explored food waste, sustainability, innovation and the opportunities to turn real-world industry challenges into engaging classroom learning.

But the learning didn't stop in the classroom. Our teachers then headed into the Ag Education Hall for a fantastic line-up of industry connections, hearing from:

🌱 Janine Milne, Caboolture State High School – exploring school produce exhibits and how schools can showcase agriculture.

🌿 Jenny Hughes, Cotton Australia – with a fascinating look at cotton production, including a live mini cotton gin!

🌱 CANEGROWERS with Shikira Kalatzis and a Queensland cane grower, sharing insights into the sugar industry.

🐑 AgForce Queensland General President Shane McCarthy and Tanya Nagle, sharing more about Queensland agriculture and the work being done to support the next generation.

And, of course, no Ekka PD would be complete without a little taste of Queensland agriculture! 😋

🥩 We dined on an award-winning tasting plate featured scotch fillet, Wagyu sausage and lamb chop before we headed to Meat & Livestock Australia's Queensland Beef Up Close to hear directly from a producer about the beef industry.

🍓 And we couldn't finish the day without an iconic Ekka strawberry sundae!

A huge thank you to everyone who shared their knowledge, opened their businesses and brought their passion for agriculture to the day. And most importantly, thank you to the teachers who joined us and embraced every opportunity to learn, taste and connect.

We hope you left with plenty of new ideas, industry connections and inspiration to take back to your classrooms. 💚

Waste to Worth was proudly delivered by CQUniversity's Agri-tech Education and Innovation team in partnership with AgForce SIPP.

Victorian farmer and wool specialist, Millie Austin, has built a major Instagram following as she showcases the supply chain to city audiences.

How a fourth-generation farmer is rebranding wool “A digital view of the wool and ag industry” is what Millie Austin promises on her Instagram profile.