Month / March 2017

by Action4Agriculture

Meet the Farmer and go Glamping – an exciting new way to bring country and city together at the Sydney Royal Easter Show

Meet Tim Eyes the young farmer who will join a total of three hundred and thirty five (over the 14 nights of the show ) very lucky Australians to go glamping at the Sydney Royal Easter Show this year.

The wider community has had plenty of exposure to Tim via their TV screens and Youtube in the last two years including this feature of Tim and fellow Young Farming Champion Anika Molesworth on SBS The Feed

Glamping tent

Not sure if the tents are going to be this luxurious 

Tim loves people and people love Tim ( for all the right reasons).  The last 12 months have been a highlight for the Art4Ag team working with our superstar journalist Mandy McKeesick writing a series a case studies, identifying what makes each of our Young Farming Champions like Tim unique.

Tim was over the moon when he got the call from the RAS of NSW inviting him to be the farmer the glamping participants get to share the campfire experience with over the 14 days of the show. He so looking forward to inspiring the lucky glampers to be as excited about the agriculture sector as he is.

The Sydney Royal Easter Show Glamping Expereince

This exclusive opportunity to sleep-over at the Show is being offered for the first time in 2017.

The lucky participants will meet and share a campfire meal with Tim. They will meet thousands of farm animals, see the world-famous District Exhibit fruit and vegetable displays, taste award-winning food and wine, watch world-class entertainment, experience exhilarating carnival rides and catch an evening show which features a nightly firework spectacular.

At night, they will sleep over in one of the Show’s fully-catered luxury tents, which comfortably sleep four people. Wake up in the morning to the sounds of farmyard life and help hand-feed breakfast to the  animals, before heading off to enjoy all the other attractions of the Show.

Just a handful of glamping tents will be erected at the event, for this special behind-the-scenes opportunity available to a few lucky campers each evening of the Show

The glampers will have

  • Access to a luxury 5m x 5m Glamping tent for 4 people, including 1 x queen-size bed and 2 x single beds, with pillows and linen.
  • Towels and face washers are provided, along with soap, shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser.
  • Access to shared toilet and shower unit, dedicated to the 6 tents located at the campsite.
  • Overnight Tour Host Tim Eyes will be on site to host you from 9pm to 8.30am.
  • Breakfast includes bacon and eggs, fresh fruit, muesli, tea, coffee and orange juice.

During the day you will find Tim hosting tours of Crop to Shop at Little Hands on the Land

by Action4Agriculture

Young people in agriculture – watershed moments to expand their field of influence.

The Young Sustainability Ambassadors program is a new partnership between the team behind Art4Agriculture and Intrepid Landcare.

The program has been inspired by the success of the Young Farming Champions program and we believe a watershed moment for agriculture. Young people in agriculture reaching out to young people in the community with a burning desire to to be part of a movement that takes action to co-create the bright future we all deserve

The end goal of this partnership is to create a network of global communicators who have the skills and confidence to be the face of their hopes, their community, their organisation, their industry and share their story and their vision for the future with young people in schools and their peers right across the globe

With the launch of the Young Sustainability Ambassadors website we would love you to meet another of the programs ambassadors and hear her story

Meet Erin Lake

Megan and Erin (11)

I was always a bit of a shy and nervous person growing up, except around my family and friends who know me for being able to recite relatable movie lines from Ace Ventura at the most perfect of moments. But when it comes to public speaking I usually get that empty feeling at the bottom of my stomach. A sudden flush to the head that jumbles my words, and a tendency to blurt my speech out so fast to get it over with without even realising. Do you relate? The majority of people do, with lots of people in Australia (and the world) suffering from  glossophobia (fear of public speaking).

It is quite a challenge because I really like to analyse situations; sort ideas (being both a splitter and a lumper); develop tables and charts to present complex ideas in a way that can be instantly understood by someone who knows little of the content; and design beautiful reports and presentations to capture people’s imaginations and help them to visualise, understand and decide how they feel about a topic. Usually that topic is the intriguing and brilliant ecology of Australia’s animals and plants and the systems we use (or could use) to improve their survival.

The combination of written and oral communication to share ideas is a highly powerful tool. And I think each needs its own focus and practice as you develop in your career (and as a human). Communicating the value of an idea successfully to a global audience is not something that many appear to do well or at all. Thinking of who does well – obviously (sadly) Donald Trump, (more optimistically) David Attenborough and (incredibly) the #Kardashians.

I learnt very early that attention on a global stage (or pretty much any type of stage) was absolutely not what I wanted in life. But the ability to communicate on a global stage was something that on my journey, I realised would be a very important thing if our wildlife and environment was to be protected and valued the way I think it deserves. Slight dilemma.

I’m pretty happy with where I found the balance. I am now part of a small team who advise Australia’s first Threatened Species Commissioner, appointed by the Minister for the Environment to bring a new focus to conservation efforts and help address the growing number of flora and fauna in Australia facing extinction. One of the key objectives of his position is to raise awareness in the broader community about the importance of protecting our threatened animals and plants. The Commissioner reaches out to audiences across Australia, and globally, to rally behind our unique, diverse and beautiful wildlife to save them from #extinction.

There are many ways to communicate globally, and being part of a team that communicates to the world about #SavingSpecies like numbats, helmeted honeyeaters and matchstick banksias is a very rewarding and effective way to encourage people to stand up for our wildlife. Preparing presentations, developing policy and sharing information through social media are some of my daily tasks.

Being involved in the Art4Agriculture program absolutely helped me to realise that my message and my values were worth communicating on a global stage. And it helped me to professionally and sincerely present ideas that help inspire people to care about what I care about. Being supported by a suite of talented experts like the beautiful Anne Burbook (program facilitator and communications trainer specialist) nurtured my confidence to help me find my voice and a reason for using it loudly.

I don’t aspire to be a leader, but to have leadership skills.  I want to be able to help others to learn, understand and develop in ways that make them happy and make the choices that they feel are the right choices. I don’t want to tell people how they should be living, or what they should be eating. I want them to have the knowledge to be able to choose for themselves, and the information to be able to understand why.

Just by knowing what is out there can shape your decisions for study, experience and engagement and direct you in a trajectory where your passion can become part of your career. Even if it’s a bit behind the scenes.

 

by Action4Agriculture

Expressions of interest are open for The Archibull Prize 2017

 

Expressions of Interest to participate in The Archibull Prize 2017 are now open for primary and secondary schools in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

The Archibull Prize is a world renowned art and multimedia competition focusing on the theme of ‘Feeding, Clothing and Powering a Hungry Nation is a Shared Responsibility’. 

It is an  innovative and fun in-school program, that traverses the boundaries of communication between rural providers and city consumers. Put simply, the program is an agricultural and environmental themed art competition for primary and secondary student groups.

But the Archibull’s aims are much greater than this.

The Archibull Prize brings the farm into the classroom.

It provides students with opportunities to meet young farmers and to gain knowledge and skills about the production of the food they eat, fibres they use and the environment they live in.

It creates an opportunity for students to work together to create an amazing artwork that tells the story of farming as they understand it.

It builds relationships between schools, industry, business and the community as they progress through the Archibull Prize’s different elements.

It raises awareness of exciting career pathways.

It promotes change and fosters two-way conversations.

And it builds lifelong relationships between consumers and their farmers.

Competing for cash prizes and the national title of Grand Champion, participating schools research a food or fibre industry while creatively transforming life-size fibreglass cows into amazing agricultural inspired artworks. Secondary schools are encouraged to partner with one of their feeder primary schools, which are provided with a fibreglass calf.

Schools also create a suite of digital multimedia communications and are paired with Young Farming Champions who visit schools, taking the farm straight into the classroom.

Being a part of The Archibull Prize is a chance to put your school on the map, with the 2016 National Grand Champion winner, Matraville Sports High School’s ‘Cowaski ”, travelling from the iconic Sydney Royal Easter Show to the halls of the NSW Parliament.

Over the past six years The Archibull Prize has consistently shown that the students involved were deeply engaged in a range of learning experiences. Teachers saw the impacts first-hand of a successful combination of arts and multimedia activities, along with project-based processes across multiple key learning areas. Put simply, The Archibull Prize is a successful addition to any learning program.

For more information or to complete an Expression of Interest email Program Director Lynne Strong with your contact details:  lynnestrong@art4agriculture.com.au

Visit our website and view the winning entries in our Hall of Fame

 

by Action4Agriculture

Young Farming Champions announced as finalists in NSW/ACT Young Achievers Awards

Today’s post is a big shoutout to Young Farming Champions Anika Molesworth and Josh Gilbert who have BOTH recently been announced as finalists in the Environment and Sustainability category of the NSW/ACT Young Achievers Awards. 

anika-and-josh-crookwell-3

The Environment & Sustainability Award recognises young people that have demonstrated environmental leadership or a significant contribution to a sustainable New South Wales and the ACT. The award celebrates young people who have demonstrated initiatives in the efficient use of water, resources and energy, better waste management and recycling practices, the enhancement of the environment and effective, practical community action.   These young people will stimulate ideas about sustainability and the environment in their community, sharing solutions and identifying strategies for change in the future.

We are very proud of Josh and Anika and all the Young Farming Champions who are showing true moral courage to lead a movement to inspire other young people to do what inspires them

They all have a crystal clear vision of the bright future they see for agriculture. They are all champions in their own right but know their vision can only be achieved if they do it selflessly together.

_dsc8652  Young Farming Champions leading a movement to inspire other young people to do what inspires them