Ag Industry Days inspire Albury-Wodonga kids into agricultural future

They're not Greenies, vegans or computer nerds - not that there's anything wrong with that, they say - they just want to be realistic and happen to love their barbecued pork chops.

Murray High's Brian Warhurst and Albury High's Emily Shipard - both year 10 students - were part of a group of about 120 students from the Albury-Wodonga region who on Wednesday, June 21, got a taste of life on the land.

The pair were part of a series of the Ag Industry Days workshops run by AgriFutures Australia, a government initiative to inspire what they call "Zoomers" - people born from the mid-90s to the early 2020s - to embark on a career in agriculture.

And both Brian, 16, and Emily, 15, say their interest in agriculture goes far beyond just ploughing fields and droving cattle.

Brian dreams of one day owning his own farm.

"It's the connection to the land that draws me in, knowing where stuff comes from and helping other people get their food," he said. "Also, living life out and away from the city. My uncle used to take me out on farms when I was about five, he was a farmhand out Finley way. That's what got me interested.

"He'd take me on the tractor, out picking up sheep, and I kept it going. At the moment I go out and work for a bloke out at Burrumbuttock."

While Brian was inspired to get into agriculture at a young age by his uncle, Emily said she draws inspiration from one of her Albury High teachers.

"I get along with my teacher very well and she's really helped me with learning the different fields," she said. "There are so many you can get into, it's so broad, it's not just how people would usually think of as farming, yes, you can work with animals but there's the tech side of it too, so many different aspects."

"I just love learning about the world and the environment, how our foods are grown I love learning about animals, how to take care of them, just every aspect of it."

Both said they understood technology plays a huge part in modern agriculture, from electronic livestock tagging to GSP-controlled tractors, but computers were still just tools.

"Common sense is still a big part it, of course, not many people have that nowadays," Brian said. "If you look at the news these days, you're just shaking your head."

Katie Friedlieb, a senior project officer at Training Services NSW, said the workshops gave students insights into an industry that may not have otherwise been on their radar.

"Agriculture is no longer just about the traditional farmer, and we need professionals working in the sector in an off-farm capacity," she said. "The Ag Industry Days are an informal and interactive day for students to see the bigger picture."

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