Farm life growing on us

Students can’t wait for country

ALL Year 9 students from Christian College travel up to the Back Creek Farm for half a term and work there to develop team-building skills.

They work in six different rotations, each lasting just four days: farmers, milkers, ‘ bacon and eggers’, homesteaders, chefs and cafe group.

Farmers must look after most of the animals, drive tractors, build fences and even help shear the sheep.

Milkers have to get up early, help milk cows and feed the calves.

The job of ‘bacon and eggers’ is to look after the pigs and the chooks.

They have to weigh the eggs they gather from the chooks and price them all so they can be available to sell.

Homesteaders maintain the homestead and keep it clean.

They learn how to work in a garden, how to make yoghurt and how to pasteurise milk.

They also maintain the boiler by adding wood to the fire.

The boiler provides hot water for the cabins and the homestead.

The chefs make all the food for the farmers.

Almost all the ingredients they use for food are sourced at the Back Creek Farm.

The cafe group prepares the food at the Christian College Back Creek cafe in Meredith.

They make food and coffee, take orders and communicate with customers, serve food and are in control of the cash registers.

As well as these physical activities, students also work on theory-based tasks.

They have a brief period every morning to work in a classroom environment and learn about the theory side of farming.

Going to Back Creek Farm is the year’s highlight for most previous Year 9 students, and I am excited for all the farm’s team-building and farming skills that I will be able to pickup in the time that I will be there. tamara.mcdonald@news.com.au