Students from five Illawarra high schools mingled with pigs, cows and chickens at Dapto High School on Wednesday.
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But unbeknown to the animals, some of their friends and family may have been on the lunch menu.
Dapto HS principal Andrew FitzSimons said the food was grown, prepared and shared at the special paddock to plate event.
The pig and chickens came from Oak Flats HS, while Dapto produced the cows for the Careers in Agriculture Expo Day.
Albion Park, Corrimal and Lake Illawarra high schools also took part, as did Five Islands Secondary College.
The event, run to coincide with National Agriculture Day, has been funded by the South East Local Land Service (SELLS) to encourage students to undertake careers in agricultural areas.
“One of our key goals is to help build capacity for resilient and sustainable communities, and generational change and adapting to new techniques and technologies are a key part of this,” SELLS senior agriculture advisor Amanda Britton said.
“The average age of a farmer in NSW is 58, and while we live in a semi-rural area here on the south coast, agriculture isn’t always as visible as it once was, so days like this are great opportunities to immerse the students in the world of agriculture and get them thinking about their futures.”
Mr FitzSimons said Dapto was delighted to host the event.
“The day represents a great opportunity for students from across the Illawarra to learn more about the career opportunities that agriculture can provide for them,” he said.
“There are agriculture, permaculture and horticulture displays from a number of schools across the Illawarra as well as stalls and demonstrations from Meat and Livestock Australia, South Coast Beef Producers Association and other employer groups.”
TAFE NSW representative Steven Atkins was also on hand providing information about vocational training opportunities.
One of the main highlights on the day was when Aaron Sorensen (Living Classroom Illawarra) spoke about Five Islands Secondary College winning the Fairfax Family Foundation Award.
The college engaged the community with their permaculture garden which has incorporated a “native food belt” into their design through their collaborative work with the local indigenous elders.
For his part, Sorensen has just been awarded the “Permaculturist of the Year” award and the “Elders of Permaculture” award.