DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR MEAT

COMES FROM?

We are here to tell you how a LEARNING PARTNERSHIP between High Schools

and a University has given us AUTHENTIC experiences in Agricultural

education!

Hi! I’m Laura I’m Alex

I’m Laura, too!

Our story is about linking the real world experiences with our in

school experiences in raising prime beef.

Do you know where your meat comes from?

The partnership between The University of Western Sydney and Secondary Schools in

the same region began 14 years ago.

It is organised and managed by volunteer support from Agriculture Teachers, Staff and students from the University and NSW TAFE,

and others who promote, judge the events, and sponsor the schools to help cover feed and transport costs.

The aim of the Uni-Schools Steer competition is to encourage agriculture

students in High Schools in Western Sydney region. Each school receives a

Poll Hereford Steer and has 100 days to raise the steer to its full potential…

…but what does that mean?

For more information about the project you can go to:http://www.uws.edu.au/unischools_steer/unischools_steer_project

So, what do we need to do with the

steer girls??

Monitoring growth and developmen

t

Training the

studentsto lead the

animal.

Balancing our

production costs like

real farmers

Lots of teamwork

May 2009 – Our Show team boarded the school bus and went to an official Opening Ceremony at the University of Western Sydney.

We checked out our competitors from other schools, collected our steer, and brought him back to our farm to start the 100 day challenge.

This is our steer called Optimus

Prime(….beef)

He weighed x 364 kgs when we picked him up, and we got him up to 497 kgs ready for the Show Days.

Transforming from a skinny

to a beefy steer

The Show Days were our real tests.

We were judged on our parading skills,

animal management and welfare

knowledge, as well as the weight and

appearance of Optimus Prime

himself.

Getting the steer AND the paraders trained was hard work, but fun!

We used the halter to gain control of

the steer.

These are some of the actions we used to train Optimus.It took time and patience and practice!

Paraders need to show off their animal to the judge, keep his

head up, and under control at all times…AND you have to look like you are enjoying yourself!

At least I’m

standing square

You also have to securely hold the leads, keep eye

contact with me, and keep your steer calm, all while walking around looking

confident!

Trimming the fur to make it all even and

feel like velvet

Part of the Showing experience was the grooming process, making him look bigger then he already is…

Our challenge included managing risks and dangers, and over-coming any fear

of handling large animalsWorking with large animals has advantages and disadvantages. Our steer weighed over 460kg, so learning to control him was extremely difficult.

As some students feared the steer, it was a challenge for them to work up the courage to lead him and show him who was boss. Learning to lead him enabled us to develop our self confidence and self-respect.

We learned to respect animal behaviour and manage for risks by having the right equipment, being aware of possible dangers and having lots of support from teachers and fellow students.

Accidents did happen, including the occasional head-butt and being dragged across the school oval! This was entertaining for students doing sport on the school oval!

However, in the end, it became second nature to lead him and have control to get him to walk – stop – stand.It proved to an enjoyable experience for all.

Where Will This Lead Us In The Future?

This competition gave us a thorough understanding of Australia’s agriculture industries, animal welfare and

ethical concerns, and what it takes to enhance the quality of Australian produce.

Real possibilities of working in Agriculture include areas such as: education, animal welfare and ethics, advertising/marketing, research into genetics,

breeding, nutrition, pest and disease management, and sustaining farming to make sure Agriculture can

survive into the future.

Hello! We are Ag teachers at

Caroline Chisholm College. We LOVE

agriculture!

While taking care of our steer, we learnt about some environmental impacts of beef production which must be

managed to sustain the industry into the future…

• Protect vegetation cover by not overgrazing• Limit soil compaction from hard hooves and machinery• Rotate paddocks regularly to allow pasture recovery• Balance the mix of native and exotic plant species to

drought-proof the farm and improve biodiversity• Manage water pollution from manure-contaminated

runoff by contouring the land into holding ponds

On a personal level, we are now more aware of the environmental and health concerns of meat production. Buy food locally to avoid over-using fossil fuels for transport, and to ensure fresh produce.

We now know where our food comes from and the effort needed to grow it.

Meet Ag students from other schools

Talked with experts in the field

Gained confidence in ourselves

Found independence

We also learnt about the economics of the beef industryINPUTS such as the costs of feed, medical

treatments, and transport must be lessthan how much income is made from the OUTPUTS such as the meat, leather, and fertilizer products sold.

This is why farmers must always monitor how much they spend in growing their produce and continuously check

the quality of their animals.

We are often asked, “How did the Unisteer Challenge reflect Reality?”…

The Unisteer experience allowed us to come to terms with the question “Do you know

where your meat comes from?”

We now understand the costs and risks involved in being cattle producers. We are

also aware of the amazing scientific research and development that has

contributed to breeding and growing the best beef in Australia.

It is important to decrease stress, make sure our animals have water and nutrients,

and they are comfortable in their surroundings. It improves the meat quality –

but more importantly it is ethically right.

Just chillin’

with my peeps!

It was hard not to humanise our steer – we got emotionally attached to him. But this made us more aware of the welfare and ethical issues around raising animals for meat.

Saying Good-Bye to “Optimus-Prime.”

Thanks to the Uni-Steer Competition for real-world, AUTHENTIC experiences in Agriculture!

Thanks for watching!

GOLD SILVERPLATINUM

BRONZE MEDIA SPONSOR

This is a

Laura, Alex and Laura Presentation for the

2009