Mole Creek Primary School rejuvenates rural farm experience

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AUGUST 2015 | Joanne Eisemann

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ALL SEVENTY-FIVE children attending Mole Creek Primary School are involved with caring for the land and the animals on its farm.

Each class has a scrap bucket where all food leftovers are collected and fed to the chooks.

“I like the chickens because they lay eggs,” shares prep student Oliver French and adds, “I like scrambled eggs.”

Chloe Onions, a grade one student, enjoys the baby animals and says, “I like the little lambs.”

The farm has been an integral part of the school’s history but had become run down.

A few years’ ago, a decision was made to revitalise it by once again using it as a learning tool for children attending the school.

“It is always good giving kids that extra experience of things outside the classroom,” shares school principal, Nathan Rockliff.

Stocked now with steers, heifers, sheep and chooks, children get to experience firsthand many aspects of animal husbandry; from collecting eggs, shearing and raising orphan lambs to cutting hay and feeding stock.

“We usually feed the animals and move the sheep, if they need moving,” comments Grade 6 student, Shaylyn Cooke, when asked of her involvement with the farm.

A successful grant application has meant that the part of Mole Creek that runs through the farm has now been fenced off.

“We applied for money to support the rehabilitation of the creek area that was getting run down with stock running through that space. It was ruining the bank,” explains Nathan.

Some trees have also been removed to make way for new tree plantings which the school hopes will encourage some native species back into the area and so provide new opportunities for outdoor science lessons.

Grade four student, Kaleb Lee, is particularly excited about this project and keenly awaits the return of native species.

Nathan points out that the community assists the school’s farm by lending rams and donating stock as well as purchasing the animals when they are ready to eat.

“Without their help we couldn’t run this farm,” he says.

[udesign_icon_font name="fa fa-camera" color="#000000"] Mike Moores