PICTURED: Peel High School agriculture teacher Ben Bowman, with iFarm designers Steve Mansur and Kate Zlotkowski and Mr Joyce in Tamworth.

New England is taking the farm to the city with an innovative approach to agricultural education in our schools.

Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce, said the Coalition Government will deliver three important initiatives to teach our children about the key role of farming in our nation.

Up to 80 city primary schools will host mobile farm units known as iFarm trailers, to teach students about farming, use of water, waste management and solar energy as part of a $5 million investment.

A separate $5 million commitment will see fund primary and secondary school student visits to farms and other primary production worksites, delivered through state farming bodies.

$220,000 would be granted to Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) to run new surveys of students and teachers on agriculture as well as hold workshops.

Steve Mansur and Kate Zlotkowski set up the iFarm trailers after seeing people from the city challenged by farming concepts and practices, and have set up a manufacturing facility in Tamworth.

Mr Joyce said it was a great outcome for our school system and the electorate.

“It’s something I went into bat and fought for here in the New England and will see students across the state get a real sense of how agriculture works,” Mr Joyce said.

“Because if you don’t understand how the land works, you don’t know how much of the money in this nation’s economy is made off the back of our farmers.”

The $5 million commitment to fund school visits to farms will be aimed at kids in major and regional cities across government, Catholic and independent primary and secondary school visits.

(ENDS)