HAPPENINGS AROUND UNITY AG
The Unity College Agriculture area is humming. We have two lots of sheep and chickens, pigs, goats, and poddy calves. As it is tough out there in the community we have had to pick up some of our show team stock earlier to help with feeding them.
Our farm hand went to collect the goats about four weeks ago from Bec and John Falkenhagen at Meningie and last week he travelled to Callington to collect our show merino wethers from Keith and Judy Paech (Lucernbrae Merino Stud).
From my experience, the fastest growing animals at Unity College are either the female pigs in the ecoshelter or the “not so little” chicks which have now graduated to their second enclosure in the Ag shed. I really enjoy working with the “Piggy Puppies” as they either sleep or have “zoomies” in their shelter. They also LOVE to be hosed off on a hot day. But I think the chicks are always a favourite with the students. For the first four weeks, they are in the Ag classroom where they are used for a “brain break” or a distraction during their lessons depending on what your perspective is.
The Year 7 & 9 veggie patches are beginning to take off. With the warm weather at the moment there are always volunteers to get out the hose to give them some extra water.
Last week we had a delivery of older chickens that are almost laying. These chickens will stay on the Middle/Senior Campus for a start but will eventually move to the Junior School when their new chook shed and run has been built. I know that the younger students are looking forward to having some chickens to look after again.
There is Ag produce for sale on both campuses. You will find a range of things near the Student Services desk and at the Junior School Front office there are pumpkins for sale.
In Week 5 the Year 3s had a visit from the little chickens which they found very exciting and last week Mrs Van Paridon walked all of the Year 1 classes over to meet all the different types of animals we already have on our Ag block. I think the favourites were Craig and Casper our two poddy calves.
Last week our Year 9 Sheep Production class had a visit from Trevor Smith who works for the Elders Wool section at the Murray Bridge branch. He gave a presentation on what happens to a fleece after it shearing, how to determine it’s quality and what jobs are available in the wool industry. It was fantastic to have Trevor’s expertise to select our two best fleeces from 2024 to enter in this year’s Adelaide Show.
WHAT’S STILL TO COME
Our Steers are arriving next week so that the staff can start working with them to further break them in ready for the students to handle in Term 1. We are getting 3 steers this year; a Limousin, Charolais and a Red Angus.
The Year 9 Sheep Production will be travelling to the Karoonda Farm Fair on Friday of Week 9 to compete against other schools in the Wool Handling Competition. Unity is also looking at entering some merino wool into the Commercial wool competition and a Giant Pumpkin this year.
The dairy heifers and another 6x goats will only be collected at the beginning of Term 2.
