The industries associated with horticulture play a vital role in providing us with many different types of food and plant products that are essential to our health and wellbeing.
A recent PIEFA survey of students about their understanding of primary industries showed that over 30% of Australian students have very little understanding of fruit and vegetable industries. The survey also showed that 24% of students wanted to know more about careers in horticulture-based industries. There is a perception amongst young people that careers focused on plant products are boring and poorly paid.
Student exposure to horticulture industries is predominantly through fruit and vegetables, more so because they eat them daily, rather than an in-depth understanding of those industries. It is also evident there is a much less understanding of all the other horticulture industries such as nursery, turf, nuts and olives to name a few.
PIEFA’s role is to work with industry research and development organisations like Hort Innovation to bridge these gaps in understanding between industry and schools. The creation of new and engaging teaching materials assists to better educate both teachers and students about the incredible opportunities that exist in horticulture industries.
Our main aim is to inspire young people to get more involved in horticulture and the variety of careers. Also, given the challenges horticulture industries face due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, now is a perfect opportunity to showcase horticulture industries with brand new teaching resources.
PIEFA has been working with Hort Innovation to create two new and exciting teaching resources. The first is called Green Your Scene, which is a year 7-8 Science and Geography targeted resource. It focuses on the importance of green spaces in and around the home, the positive impacts plants have on health and wellbeing, community green spaces, backyard living, and design your garden activities.
- This is offered as a downloadable pdf: https://primezone.edu.au/resource/green-your-scene/or as an online Primezone Academy course here: https://www.primezoneacademy.edu.au/courses/take/hort-1001-green-your-scene/
The second resource is called Food Production through Protected Cropping, which is year 9 Geography-focused. This resource focuses on food production of blueberries and cucumbers and how they are produced. It also gives students the opportunity to explore the challenges faced by these producers to overcome many issues such as climate, labour, costs and demand. It also provides students with an insight into the use of technology such as drones and hydroponics to manage these crops.
- This is offered as a downloadable pdf: https://primezone.edu.au/resource/protected-cropping-hort/ or as an online Primezone Academy course here: https://www.primezoneacademy.edu.au/courses/take/hort-1002-protected-cropping/
