The quality workshops and enthusiasm of our guest presenters is a real highlight of the TAP. Once again Zoe Vogels from The Vet Group outlined to the CCC class the importance of correct nutrition and hygiene in rearing calves and how to turn a calf into a cow. Zoe stressed the importance of appropriate housing and daily checking calves’ nose, eyes, ears, belly and tail. As well as an appreciation certificate the science elective class gave Zoe a jar of honey from our school’s hive and Zoe was impressed with the result! Thanks Zoe As an introduction to the Year 7/8 “Who's in charge?”politics/commerce elective, students welcomed UDV (United Dairyfarmers Victoria) President, Adam Jenkins, into their classroom to learn about advocacy. Adam explained that advocacy was important to make an impact on laws, law makers and the general public and the importance of being able to influence how government funding was allocated. Recent events were discussed such as the USA student protests on gun control, regional roads, animal welfare issues and the impact of social media and how it can be used to sway public perception. The Year 7/8 science elective Cows Create Careers class were introduced to the importance of starch and fibre in a dairy cow’s diet by TAP aficionado, Andy Powell and ably assisted by Kelly McNeight. Students learnt that farmers and nutritionists determine the dry matter (DM) of feed to work out it’s nutritional value. Cow size and feed capacity was calculated as was the megajoules of metabolisable energy per kilogram of dry matter (MJME/kg DM) in feeds such as grass, grains, silage and turnips. Various diets were discussed and a back calculation was used to determine the amount of grass the cows would be eating in the case studies Andy provided. - Ruminant Nutrition 101! How is your vine growing? This fun competition for TAP 2018 will grow as our vines and pumpkins have. One-up-man-ship! Anything goes. It can be straight forward: largest, reddest, smallest, pinkest, longest vine, most fruit on the vine etc. Or, using your imagination: most desired by Cinderella, closest resemblance to a..., ugliest etc. Why not build a story around it: guess what happened to our pumpkin seedling / vine, the day the goat / cows... etc. Educate us: diary of successfully producing pumpkins, secrets to success, (digital or hand written). We mustn’t forget uses for pumpkins, great / failed recipes used matched with testimonials from those eating the products. Feel free to suggest other categories. Keep the photos / comments coming on Facebook, to the office for the newsletter, on the TAP blog and definitely save copies for TAP’s On! 2018. |
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February 2024
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