Urban Vs Rural

 



There are approximately 134,000 farm businesses in Australia, 99 percent of which are family owned and operated. Each Australian farmer produces enough food to feed 600 people, 150 at home and 450 overseas. Australian farmers produce almost 93 percent of Australia’s daily domestic food supply.
As of 2010-11, there are 307,000 people employed in Australian agriculture. The complete agricultural supply chain, including the affiliated food and fibre industries, provide over 1.6 million jobs to the Australian economy.

Farmers work longer hours. Working hours are similar for people in urban and rural areas, although workers in urban areas (52%) are more likely than people in rural areas (37%) to commute more than 6 hours per week. Farmers and agricultural workers work much longer hours than other occupational groups. Nearly half (45%) work more than 50 hours per week, compared with 11% of the population.

PROPORTION OF LAND USED FOR AGRICULTURE BY STATE AND TERRITORY - 2011

Source: ABS Agricultural Commodities, Australia, 2010–11 (cat. no. 7121.0

 

 

 

 

Conflict of land:

 

The presence of agriculture and non-rural land use in the one location can often generate conflict due to their potential incompatibility. Agriculture can affect adjoining small rural lots which are used essentially for residential purposes. Similarly, the presence of small rural lots creates an adverse influence on the continued operation of the agricultural enterprise. The issue of rural-urban conflict can arise when there is no separation between incompatible uses, let alone the misunderstanding which may exist about the purpose and character of a district. Land use conflicts may arise in such situations through noise, odour, farm chemicals, light, visual amenity, dogs, stock damage and weed infestation, lack of understanding and lack of communication to name just a few.

 

Increasing competition for the available land tends to intensify the agricultural practices.Much of the agriculture is intensive by nature given the typically small property size in preferred agricultural areas. Market gardening, turf farming and poultry production are important along with horses, cattle grazing, dairying and orcharding.

 

How to overcome the conflict:

 

Education is the key to overcoming the conflict.

 

Local Government can play  role in the overall education process which is important to overcome conflict. Many NSW Councils place a special notation on all Section 149 Certificates (these are required to be part of a contract to sell land and stipulate the zoning and other planning issues associated with a parcel of land) so as all future purchases of rural land, especially rural residential purchasers, are advised of the surrounding agricultural uses and thereby the potential for conflict. This can be combined with media releases and other methods of disseminating the agricultural message to inform this diverse audience such as articles in Council newsletters and the Annual Report. Other government departments can also assist. NSW Agriculture for example, produces farmer publications (Agfacts, Producer Newsletters) that can aid in educating the public. Departmental extension staff provide advice on sustainable land management practices.

 Australian Farms and the Challenges they face

Australian farms and farming communities

About ninety per cent of all cattle are used for beef. Queensland and New South Wales are Australia's main beef cattle producers, with the Northern Territory contributing to ten per cent of the beef cattle market.

Farming is an economically and culturally important part of life in Australia.

Many Australians are directly or indirectly involved in farming. For those Australians not involved with farming, the country's recent rural and agricultural history still has strong links to the heritage and culture of Australia.

 

An overview of the history of farming in Australia

In the first few decades after European settlement in Australia, farms developed around the early settlements. These farms mainly grew wheat crops and raised sheep that had originally been brought over from Europe

Farming in Australia today

Economic importance of farming in Australia

Agriculture is an important sector for the Australian economy, generating up to $43 billion in gross value each year.

Farming employs around 370,000 people across Australia.

Although agriculture is not as extensive as at its peak in the mid 1970s, farms still take up around sixty per cent of all the land in Australia.

Farms in Australia have traditionally been family businesses, passed on from generation to generation. However, since the 1950s, international economic factors and changes in farming methods have lead to larger farms being more economically viable than small ones. The number of farming families in Australia has steadily decreased and the average size of farms has increased.

Many modern farmers find that they struggle to make a profit and some are forced to find extra work off the farm to supplement the farm income.

Types of farming in Australia

Different types of farming are mainly concentrated in the areas that suit them best, depending on water availability and climatic conditions.

Livestock grazing activity, mainly sheep and cattle, takes up the most land in Australian agriculture. Sheep are mostly found in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria.

Drought and other impacts of the Australian climate

One of Australia's most well-known poems, My Country by Dorothea Mackellar, contains the lines 'A land ... of droughts and flooding rains'. To many people, this sums up the difficulties of being a farmer in Australia.

Australia is the world's driest inhabited continent; only Antarctica has less rainfall. Large tracts of land throughout inland Australia are prone to droughts, sometimes lasting several years.

Irrigation is a very important factor in making farming viable in inland Australia. Vast irrigation systems, such as the Snowy Scheme have been established to divert water inland for farming. Water is also obtained by boring underground and is stored in dams on farms.

Australian soils generally have a low fertility, so superphosphate and nitrogen are widely needed to compensate. Farmers also face challenges dealing with soil erosion and salinity.

The cultural importance of farming in Australia

 

Even though over sixty per cent of Australians live in the capital cities, as a nation Australia still recognises its close affinity to the unique landscape of the countryside and to those who live on the land.

Regional centres and towns are important social and economic communities throughout Australia. Whereas the capital cities are concentrated mainly along the Australian coast, rural towns have spread across the country's interior to service the outlying farms and farming communities.

Many country towns and farming communities are popular tourist destinations for Australians and international visitors. They offer an opportunity to gain an insight into the history of Australia, to enjoy the more relaxed lifestyle, to sample the local food and produce, and to admire the beauty of the farming landscape.

 

Students have been learning about the benefits of eating meat as well as what part of the cow is used for different cuts of meat.

 

Beef Nutrition

Beef is rich in many of the nutrients we need to stay healthy such as:

Protein- A 100g serve of cooked beef provides 34g of protein, which is more than half our daily requirements.

Iron and Zinc- A 100g serve of cooked beef provides, on average, 25% of the recommended daily intake.

Omega-3 fatty acids- Australian beef is a source of omega-3 fatty acids as our cattle are grass-fed for most or all of their life. Omega-3 fatty acids are important for a healthy heart.

B vitamins- Beef is a good source of vitamin B12, niacin and vitamin B6.It also contains the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Students have been working hard on Archi. We have chosen to show the journey of meat from the farm yard to the dinner table. The students are having a great time as you can see by the pictures below.

Young Farmer Visit with Kylie Schuller

Young Farmer Visit 

On Wednesday 14th August we welcomed out young farmer Kylie Schuller. This opportunity not only gave us a chance to eat scones and sandwiches but gave us an insight into the beef industry.

Kylie showed a great power point  showing us that the beef industry is not only a successful one but provides countless opportunities for travel.

Winmalee students learnt about how much of the cow is used not only as a source of food but as a sustainable ingredient in lots of products you wouldn't think contained cow. We also learnt about what makes good meat. Students learnt that cows just don't eat grass but a range of foods that offer more nutrients to their diet. Sustainability is a key component with cows being feed by products from other industry's as well as grass and grains.

This opportunity gave students a fantastic chance to understand their meat better. So next time we eat meat we will be thinking twice about it.

A huge thank you to Kylie Schuller for taking the time to visit us. At the end of the day we had tonnes of new ideas for our cow and a different attitude to the beef industry.

 Check out Kylies Video : Click here

 Who works in the beef and cattle industry?

The cattle industry provides work for many people. There are more than 170,000 people employed directly in the meat and livestock industry.
Many more people are employed in businesses that serve the beef industry, such as transport, clerical, accounting and marketing companies.
At Winmalee we researched some jobs that relate to the cattle industry these included:

• Scientist
• Retailer
• Livestock researchers
• Truck driver
• Chef
• Machinery operators
• Cattle producers
• Auctioneers
• Cattle breeders
• Veterinarian


The Archibull at Winmalee

Winmalee's Deputy Principal Mrs Facas Visual Arts Teacher Miss Allen and students enjoying lunch with Archie

Winmalee High School is in New South Wales, Australia. Winmalee is located 80 kilometres west of Sydney. Winmalee is surrounded by the Blue Mountains National Park. This National Park is on the World Heritage List and is known as the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site.

Winmalee

As you can see our school is surrounded by bushland and housing estates, this doesn’t leave room for agriculture. Students at Winmalee do not interact with farming in their day to day lives.

This year students will learn about the Beef and Cattle Industry leading to a better understanding of why sustainable farming is so important to Australia.

 

'Singer' The Cotton Cow

This is the second year that students at Winmalee High school will have the opportunity to take part in the Archibull program. Last year students created ‘Singer’ who received a warm welcome back to the green pastures of the Visual Arts department.

‘Singer’ was a Archibull prize winner of excellence. The design of ‘Singer’ is a contemporary portrayal of the cotton industry with one side an intricately detailed depiction of an old-fashioned Singer sewing machine. This is juxtaposed against a highly driven consumerism side which scans viewers via a giant barcode with interactive lights and sound. ‘Singer’ also has its own pest management system inbuilt with clouds of ladybirds which are good for cotton as they eat the destructive aphids. Winmalee’s 2012 ‘Singer’ was displayed at the 2013 Royal Easter show at Olympic Park and viewed by many people.

According to Mrs Rowston Head Teacher of Visual Arts, “Students critical and creative thinking was challenged in this program as they learnt about the agricultural and environmental difficulties that cotton farmers in Australia face. Students were challenged by Miss Pinto to think outside the box and look beyond their local environment.  ‘Singer’ visually represents  collaboration and creative excellence”.
 Check out 'Singer' and  friends
 

 

 

Archie- Just one of the students at Winmalee

Over the past two weeks Archie has been out and about meeting the students of Winmalee High school.  The interaction between students and Archie raised some interesting points about farming in Australia. Straight away students identified myths about cattle farming and the effects it can have on the environment. After talking to students and reading the material the team was able to put students minds at ease and a sure them the information they believed to be true was in fact fiction.

As part of our Archibull prize journey our school is given a blank life size fibre glass cow which we use to create an artwork with the focus theme:

 

"What does it take to  sustainably feed and clothe your community for a day?

You can see the stats to feed Sydney here

 

 

Did you know?

 

• It takes 400,00 cows to provide the population of Sydney with it's 3 serves of dairy every day.

• Australia has nearly 27 million cattle and 2.5 million dairy cattle.

• Australian farmers care for over 60% of Australia's landscape.

• 93% of the food we eat  is grown in Australia.

 

 

THE 2013 YOUNG FARMING CHAMPIONS

BEEF

Sponsored by Meat and Livestock Australia Target 100 program

 

This week we have been reading the story of Jasmine Nixon from Wagga Wagga, NSW.

 

"My passion is agriculture and I am proud to say I love my beef cows! Every day I know that I am contributing to help feed the world – and I also love what I do. Agriculture is an exciting place to be, yes there are challenges but there are also endless different opportunities within agriculture and that is something I hope to share and encourage a new generation to take on the challenge to help feed the world!"

 

To watch Jasmine talk a little about herself click here