Planting the Seeds of Safety: Farm Safety A.C.E Educational Resources

The farming and agriculture sector has been shadowed by some of the highest rates of work-related injuries and fatalities nationwide. PIEFA are determined to make a difference, and are pleased to announce the launch of a new series of farm safety educational resources under the title, Farm Safety A.C.E

By engaging with these resources, young Australians will learn about different farm risks and understand how to mitigate these risks. The mission is to empower the next generation to step up as farm safety ambassadors, ensuring they always prioritise safety in every farming scenario.

Thanks to funding support from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under their Future Farm Safety for Life grant, PIEFA has meticulously curated a package that speaks directly to agricultural show coordinators, high school educators, parents/carers, and students, particularly those in Years 7-10. 

So, what’s inside this educational package?

Our primary target is Year 9 and 10 students, but we’ve ensured that the content is also applicable for Years 7 and 8. Content is STEM-focussed and linked to the Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0). They are aligned to various subject areas, including Health and Physical Education, Science, English, and Design and Technologies. 

The Farm Safety A.C.E. educational package is designed to be flexible and can be used over and over again in years to come, to ensure farm safe practices are maintained into the future. Whether you choose to implement one activity or several, each lesson stands strong on its own, however, the introductory lesson on the Hierarchy of Control should be implemented as a foundational start.

Covering topics like machinery, chemicals and quad bikes, the resources are engaging and relevant to young Australians whether they live on a farm, visit occasionally or have friends and family who do. 

Farm safe knowledge is power and through this Farm Safety A.C.E. educational resource package, together we can develop ambassadors that will influence the future of farming – adopting and upholding safer farm practices. 

To access the resource package, head to Primezone: www.primezone.edu.au/resource/future-farm-safety-resource-package/

The Farm Safety A.C.E. resources have been produced by Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia, under funding from the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, through the National Farm Safety Education Fund: Improving Farm Safety Practices.

PIEFA wish to thank Farmsafe Australia, Agricultural Shows Australia, and Urrbrae Agricultural High School in South Australia for their contribution and support in producing these resources. 

Integrating Food and Fibre Education Across Subject Areas: A Sustainable Approach to Learning

Today’s classrooms are dynamic environments where students are cultivating skills for their future. At PIEFA, we know that if our mission to enhance young Australians’ knowledge and understanding of primary industries is to be achieved, food and fibre programs and resources must be accessible to diverse classrooms and learning areas beyond ‘agriculture’ as a subject area.

The education programs and resources that PIEFA develop include a blend of creative and engaging formats, designed to foster curiosity, skill development and food and fibre knowledge across various learning and learning areas, whilst providing opportunities for the development and application of STEM skills.

Learning about the life cycles of cattle, sheep, goats, wheat plants and alpacas doesn’t need to sit exclusively in the ag classroom, rather, lesson plans can extend into Science, Mathematics, Design & Technologies, Humanities & Social Science and English – to name a few.

PIEFA’s diversified approach to producing resources that are accessible and practical for teachers across many subject areas in primary and secondary schools, allows students to gain a more comprehensive understanding of our primary industries and the range of roles, responsibilities and careers in the sector, whilst addressing key curriculum areas.

For instance, The Life of an Alpaca, which has been developed by PIEFA, in collaboration with the Australian Alpaca Association and AgriFutures Australia, is a resource targeted to Year 3 and 4 students, focusing on the cross-curricula learning areas of Science, Design and Technologies, Mathematics and Humanities and Social Sciences. Students engage with tasks that utilise skills in different learning areas, promoting an understanding that learning about food and fibre requires a wide skillset. There’s a literacy task, where students learn about the history of the introduction of alpacas into Australia (using technology to map distances), which progresses to a science concept of creating a life cycle diagram of an alpaca and, finally, students practise their mathematical skills by using data to build a life-sized model of an alpaca to track its rate of growth.

The Sexual and Asexual Reproduction in Plants resource has been created by PIEFA in collaboration with industry partner, Hort Innovation, and targets Year 9 to 10 students. This classroom resource focuses on the cross-curricula learning areas of Science and Design and Technologies and makes a clear and important connection between learning about the science of reproduction in plants to using and manipulating this process to produce food and fibre.

And these are just a couple of examples of how our highly skilled Education Officers [who are fully qualified and experienced teachers!] take current agriculture, food and fibre content that’s been gathered from industry experts, and translate this material into engaging classroom lesson plans that intentionally align with Australian Curriculum requirements. We are teachers committed to supporting teachers.

New resources are constantly being developed and we’re making it easy to identify relevant curriculum codes and subject areas, so teachers can determine which resources are best suited to their students.

There are a myriad of career pathways in Australia’s primary industries, but they’re often thought of as exclusively farming jobs. With roles spanning from science and technology to communications, business management and so much more, our cross-curricular approach to food and fibre education helps to highlight the enormous range of career possibilities.

With the ultimate goal of engaging students to better understand the agriculture, food and fibre industries, it’s so important to pique interest in the early years within learning environments. We’re excited to help Aussie teachers grow our future leaders through an integrated learning approach!

Harnessing Innovation: Empowering Future Primary Industries during Science Week 2023

Mark your calendars, educators: Science Week is scheduled to take place from 12th to 20th August!

The theme for 2023, “Innovation: Powering Future Industries,” underlines the essential role of technology in today’s rapidly evolving food and fibre industries, and PIEFA are hosting a range of nationwide activities to enhance student understanding.

We invite classrooms across Australia to engage in our Science Week activities. Through our downloadable resource kits and live careers panels, teachers and students will gain insight into the multifaceted applications of advanced technologies, such as automated systems, precision farming tools, remote sensing, and data analytics in the realm of food and fibre production.

PIEFA has developed two downloadable classroom kits – one for primary and one for secondary teachers.

These resources have been designed to explain the latest advancements in food and fibre processing technology, including aspects of packaging, preservation, traceability, and quality control. The kits serve to foster a comprehensive understanding of these integral components, preparing students for the industries of the future.

To complement these resources, registration is now open for our  live careers panels where students will be inspired by professionals working in the wine industry. Your students could be the future drivers of innovation in these fields, and understanding these sectors is key to unlocking their potential.

There has never been a better time to engage your students in the captivating world of science and innovation.


Sign-up now at www.primezone.edu.au/science-week/ and get ready for a fantastic Science Week 2023.

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NT Farming School Project

NT Farmers, in collaboration with Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA), have recently produced a series of classroom resources: NT Farming School Project!

These curriculum-aligned classroom resources have been designed to support teachers participating in the NT Farmers Kids to Farms program. Teachers and students participating in this program will visit a school or community garden of their choice to investigate how food is grown in their local area.

As part of the suite of resources, downloadable worksheets and teacher guides are provided to support each lesson.

The hands-on activities and research/design tasks are designed to encourage students to learn more about the unique food plants, insects and climate conditions of the Northern Territory.

You can access the following resources below:

> YEARS F-2 | How does your garden grow: https://primezone.edu.au/resource/how-does-your-garden-grow-f-2/ 
> YEARS 3-4 | A Bug’s Life: https://primezone.edu.au/resource/a-bugs-life-3-4/ 
> YEARS 5-6 | Soil Matters: https://primezone.edu.au/resource/soil-matters-5-6/

PIEFA’s National Ag Week 2022!

National Ag Day 2022 will take place on Friday, November 18. Always a highlight on PIEFA’s calendar, we’ve turned National Ag Day into National Ag Week (again) – from November 14 to 18!

This year, we’re offering several opportunities for educators and students across Australia to get involved and celebrate the importance of agricultural education.

Available to download now, our DIGITAL TEACHER KITS have been created as a step-by-step guide to implement a variety of food and fibre Farmer Time lessons into you classroom. Kits include Farmer Time videos, student activities and worksheet. Access the primary and secondary Digital Kits here with plenty of time to prep before Ag Day on November 18

On the 15th and 18th of November, food and fibre producers and industry representatives will be online to provide information for students, carers and educators on the different career pathways in agriculture. We’ve secured some outstanding people in ag for our LIVE AG CAREERS PANELS. Make sure you register to hear real stories from people in the ag industry.

SESSION ONE: Tuesday, November 15 @ 2:00pm | SESSION TWO: Friday, November 18 @ 10:45am

Finally, for teachers looking to ramp-up their food and fibre content in the classroom, our LIVE TEACHER PD session will take place on Tuesday, November 15 at 4:30pm (AEDST). Targeted to secondary teachers, this online teacher professional development session will showcase Primezone resources and the Farmer Time program, helping you to build confidence in the classroom to deliver food and fibre content.

All of PIEFA’s National Ag Week events are FREE and available to register/download now! www.primezone.edu.au/agday2022

In addition, the National Farmers Federation is running a series of events to celebrate National Ag Day. Celebrating innovation in agriculture, National Agriculture Day is your chance to celebrate and learn about Australia’s incredible farm sector. You can get involved by hosting a lunch, entering the photo/video competition, wearing an AgDay t-shirt or attending an event. Find out more here: http://agday.org.au/