Jack Goodgame (13GD)and Kasey Hilary (12VA) were chosen for the Rabobank FX Programme and spent six days experiencing life and work on a farm in Canterbury.

My name is Jack Goodgame, I’m a year 13 student. I went to a sheep and beef farm in Hororata.

Rabobank has a new initiative in Canterbury, the FX Programme. This is the first time it has been run in New Zealand, last year they held the programme in Australia. Rabobank selected seven students from different schools around the city, including Riccarton, Cashmere and Hillmorton High Schools. Rabobank aims to expand on city students’ knowledge and to give them a hands on experience in the sheep, beef, dairy and arable (cropping) industries.

Bella, a student from Cashmere High School and I went to Margaret Mason’s sheep and beef farm in Hororata. Margaret was the host of our Rabobank experience for the week. In my farm experience I learned how to crutch a sheep. This is when you shear the wool around the tail to prevent daggs. 

Bella and I saw the process in the weighing section for the steers and heifers. We went to the Temuka Sale Yards to watch how the sales work. Rodney, the head farmer, bought 18 calves. 

We were shown the irrigation canal. Irrigation is really important for farming so they can grow crops and fodder beet or kale. It was interesting on the field day, all of the students met at the potato warehouse where we learnt things like what temperature the potatoes are stored at indoors. Also to Synlait and NZ Marino were amazing.

Being part of a farming family for a week was a lot of fun and I had lots of new experiences. I wrote a diary entry each day, took recordings and videos to post on Facebook about what I learnt and discovered something new each day. I took photos of our experiences and our host family to show other students in school about the trip.

I would recommend this experience for city students because they can see what happens in the country and feel like they are a part of farming life. What happens in the sheep and beef or dairy or arable (cropping) industries is more interesting than many of us know. The process of how meat gets to your plate, how milk gets to your home is complex and well worth understanding.