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Advice for teachers -
Agricultural and Horticultural Studies

Unit 1 – Area of Study 2: Food and fibre production

Outcome 2

Identify safe and productive agricultural and horticultural systems, explain optimal selection of suitable plants and animals, and demonstrate the collection and application of data in a practical task/s.

Examples of learning activities

  • Create a flowchart or other diagram to show the components of an agricultural/horticultural system and how they interact. Components should include: inputs (physical and human requirements); processes (tasks and actions); and outputs (finished products, waste and income). Also consider types of feedback that can be used to improve the system.
  • Interview people working in agricultural/horticultural fields to find out how they plan and organise their working lives in terms of what will happen today, this week, this month and/or this year. Do they have a ‘system’?
  • Analyse the case studies of young people who are beginning their working lives in agriculture/horticulture (e.g. search ‘next generation of farmers’ online). Report back to the class on what physical and human inputs enabled these young people to ‘work on the land’. What processes are they involved with? What are their outputs?
  • Consider sustainability in agriculture/horticulture as a concept with a ‘quadruple bottom line’ (economic, environmental and social sustainability, with ethical considerations). As a class, brainstorm a list of questions that should be asked when considering whether a business idea or practice is likely to be sustainable into the future. These questions will relate to protecting and regenerating the physical environment, the ability to make a living wage, feeling connected and safe among colleagues, and applying standards of fairness and ethical considerations to workplace conditions and the humane treatment of animals.
  • In pairs or groups, consider one of the following terms: economic, environmental, social, ethical. Find examples of agricultural/horticultural businesses that strive for sustainability in a way that is relevant to your allocated topic. Shares your evidence with the class.
  • Find the topic ‘Introduction to health and safety’ on the Agriculture Victoria website. As a class, record and discuss the five key health and safety principles, as summarised from the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. Define the role of WorkSafe Victoria and visit their ‘Farming: Safety basics’ webpage.
  • Access the factsheet ‘Farm safety – risks and hazards’ on Better Health Channel website. Begin with the opening text: ‘Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in Australia. Only one in 10 workplaces are farms, yet they account for one quarter of all work-related deaths’. Develop a series of ‘what’, ‘who’ and ‘how’ questions based on the information presented. Emphasise prevention and the availability of help and support.
  • Plan practical activities that consider and apply key health and safety principles of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004.
  • Create an infographic that shows the major topics under the headings ‘Health’ and ‘Safety’ on the National Centre for Farmer Health website. Select one of these topics and share your expertise with the class.
  • Access the compilation of ‘Rural mental health resources’ on the Victorian Farmers Federation’s  website. Explore the links and write a brief profile of an organisation or service that you had not previously heard about.
  • In groups, research the annual cycle of activities relating to the growing/raising of a particular agricultural animal or plant/crop. Present findings as a design for a ‘Calendar of operations’ brochure, webpage or app.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Interview, research and/or follow on social media, a farmer, market gardener or orchardist in order to learn about their work. Create a timeline of their anticipated activities for one year.
  • Research the annual production cycles of major Australian food/fibre products – one plant product and one animal product. For each, determine three ‘keys to successful production’ that would be essential to any guide published for newcomers to the field.
  • Create an infographic that shows the annual production cycle for a horticultural/agricultural product.
  • Consult one or more of the many online seasonal/climate zone growing guides for Australian plants. Devise a yearly plan for planting, harvesting and managing a new local edible community garden.
  • Consider the concept of soil as one of the planet’s vital resources by reading the online article ‘How healthy soils make for a healthy life’ (Ee Le Ng & Deli Chen, The Conversation, March 2017).
  • Create a graphic organiser with the title ‘Unlock your soil’s potential’, using the summarised information presented on Agriculture Victoria’s ‘Productive soils’ page (in the ‘Farm management’ menu).
  • Outline the meaning, benefits and indicators of productive soils.
  • Describe the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of productive soil.
  • Access Restore the soil: Prosper the nation, the 2017 report from the National Soil Advocate to the Prime Minister of Australia on the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website. Referring just to the Executive Summary (p. 1), answer the question ‘What are the issues/challenges with soil (a) globally and (b) in Australia?’.
  • Develop a visual display to explain the following quote: ‘Soil is the major “switching yard” for the global cycles of carbon, water, and nutrients. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients are stored, transformed, and cycled through soil. Decomposition by soil organisms is at the centre of the transformation and cycling of nutrients through the environment’ (Soil Quality for Environmental Health).
  • Investigate environmental impacts of various techniques of soil and nutrient management.
  • Write a brief report profiling the work of Australian organisations Soils for Life and Healthy Soils Australia.
  • As a class, collate a ‘how to’ manual on collecting soil samples from land used for different purposes. The Agriculture Victoria website has detailed information on this topic.
  • Practise manual testing methods to determine the texture class of particular soil samples (e.g. clay, sandy, loamy). Apply results to agricultural/horticultural planning and decision-making.
  • Research and practise methods of testing the percentage moisture and organic content of soils (i.e. methods suitable for the school science lab).
  • Conduct a practical activity where a soil testing kit is used to determine pH and the levels of phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium. Apply results to agricultural/horticultural planning and decision-making.
  • Define ‘hydroponics’ and ‘aquaponics’ and find out what is meant by ‘aeroponics’. List advantages and disadvantages for each.
  • Analyse the role of alternative plant-growing media through the online article ‘How urban farmers are learning to grow food without soil or natural light’  (Silvio Caputo, The Conversation, February 2018).
  • Write a news article about ‘vertical farming’ around the world, with a focus on the use of non-soil plant-growing media and the question of whether there is a future for such ‘farming’ in Australia.
  • Choose a location in Australia/Victoria (including towns, cities and other regions not known for food production) and conduct a hypothetical activity where Australia’s existing system of food production and distribution has broken down, driving people to seek more local self-sufficiency. Considering available space and other resources, consider all possible methods that could be used to grow food for a local population of, say, ten families (or 50 people).
  • Design a data collection exercise or scientific experiment related to agricultural/horticultural practices. Follow the scientific methodology set out in the ‘Cross-study specifications’ section of the VCE Agricultural and Horticultural Study Design.
  • Develop a lab report template for VCE Agricultural and Horticultural Studies, using headings that incorporate the parameters of scientific methodology, as set out in the ‘Cross-study specifications’ section of the study design.

Detailed example

Example icon for advice for teachers 

Interview and/or research a farmer, market gardener or orchardist and draw up a timeline.

The aim of this activity is for students to learn from the experience of an agricultural/horticultural producer (preferably one they have not met before). While the topic (key knowledge point) for investigation is ‘annual production cycles’, this should be researched in a way that provides opportunities for students to communicate with a producer and/or tap into a network.

  1. Teacher asks the students to identify any agriculture/horticulture producers or organisations they may already ‘follow’ or subscribe to via online/social media platforms. List them, along with sentences of description or review. Students report on what they have learned through this process. Resources for introducing this part of the topic could include:
  2. Students conduct their own search to find and select a farmer, market gardener or orchardist to research further. Ideally, the selection will be from a vocational field the student is interested in, and the producer will be communicative about work tasks carried out throughout the year (via their social media posts). This search for a suitable producer could include explorations of:
    • agriculture/horticulture or rural-based publications such as The Weekly Times newspaper (especially the monthly Farm liftout), Victorian Farmer online publication or Small Farms magazine
    • information provided by farmers markets and food hubs about their producers (for example, the Baw Baw Food Hub (‘Our Producers’ section)
    • participants in discussion forums and panels and leaders of workshops and conference sessions hosted by organisations – both large and small – linked to agriculture, horticulture and food systems (conduct an online search of recent and upcoming events and conferences).
  3. Students define and discuss ‘annual production cycles’ as a concept in agriculture and horticulture. They look at examples such as the ‘Production cycle’ section of the Australian Pig Farmers website, the ‘Learn about egg farming’ section of the Australian Eggs website or ‘Almond trees annual cycle’ at Select Harvests.
  4. After selecting a primary producer to focus on, students take a closer look at practical operational details in order to create a timeline that illustrates annual production cycle(s) for the growth of plants and/or raising of animals on the property, and the associated tasks that have to be completed. This can involve examination of a calendar year of social media posts and other available information, as well as direct contact and discussion with the producer.