Friendly smiles have been spotted on the faces of CTLX stock handlers and Cowra and Canowindra farmers during a recent visit from fifty of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs school girls.
Last week the Hospitality and Food Technology students spent three days talking to farmers and visiting rural businesses in order to better understand where their food comes from, as part of their HSC studies at Brigidine College, Randwick.
The tour was organised and hosted by Mid Lachlan Landcare.
Students visited Woodstock Cemetery where they were able to look at examples of rich dark pre-farmed soil, biodiversity and the importance of trees at different age groups in the landscape. They then went on to study the soil healing processes at the once plagued by salinity property “Westville” observing how the water loving native tree-lanes have transformed “Westville” into a highly productive mixed farm.
The following businesses hosted the students and gave up their time to speak with the girls. Woodstock Paddock Eggs, Oatleigh Mixed Grazing Farm, Rayz Organic Grazing, Rivers Road Organic Farms, Rosnay Organic, Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange – CTLX, Muzzy’s Quality Meats, La Barre Olives, Mulyan Vegetable Farm and Adloyalty.
After visiting the local businesses, the students were able to design their own paddock to plate menu. “For dinner they cooked up a magnificent meal selecting their own cuts of local lamb, their own samples of olive oil and their own freshly picked asparagus” said Landcare coordinator, Tracee Burke.
“It was such a great activity to be involved in. We are sincerely grateful for the generosity of time given to the girls, by all the locals who allowed them to see what it is they do and share their passion with them,” she said.
“Before this experience our students had no appreciation for how complex and heartfelt food production is,” said a Brigidine teacher. “We are so pleased we are able to run this excursion and make the girls more open minded and aware of something this important.”
By Trudi Refshauge