Agriculture Studies
Students gain an appreciation and understanding of the rural environment, including primary production, marketing and the sustainable use of resources. The program has a practical emphasis, with students involved in all aspects of production at the School farm, Sturt Grove, a 4.5 hectare area within the School property.
The Agricultural Studies course is available for students in Years 9 to 12, and in Year 12 it is offered as both an academic and practical subject. The course caters for students who simply want to learn more about primary production as well as those intending to pursue a career or further studies in agriculture.
Agriculture Studies will help students to:
- build a knowledge and understanding of agricultural and horticultural terminology, facts, concepts, practices and principles
- demonstrate learnt practical, scientific, agricultural, and horticultural skills
- develop responsibility towards the environment and towards economically and ecologically- sustainable agriculture and horticulture
- integrate skills from mathematics and technology, and apply them to agricultural and horticultural situations
- recognise the influence and interdependence of scientific, environmental, economic, and technological factors in agricultural and horticultural production
- work co-operatively and safely
- discover occupational pathways in agriculture.
Practical activities in which the students are involved include:
- free-range egg-laying facility
- broiler chicken and turkey enterprises
- viticulture production, including harvesting, pruning and marketing
- winemaking, including the production of table wine and fortified wine
- glasshouse production of vegetables and cut flowers
- barramundi and yabbie production
- show preparation of grain-fed beef steers and wether goats for Royal Adelaide Show
- production of prime lambs
- shearing
- breeding and presentation of show poultry at the Royal Adelaide Show
The subject is taught using a variety of methods to facilitate learning, including:
- practical management of commercial laying facilities, meat/chicken shed, vineyard and beef cattle, sheep and goat enterprises
- field trips
- conventional classroom lessons and laboratory practicals
- the opportunity to become involved with showing livestock at the Royal Adelaide Show
- computer programs and applications
- evaluation of alternative methods of agricultural and horticultural production
- experimental investigations, field trials and data analysis
- individual and group demonstrations
- research assignments, audiovisual interpretation, application of mathematical skills and oral presentations
- visits from guest speakers
