In 2020, the Port Phillip & Westernport Catchment Management Authority piloted the innovative Farms2Schools program in and around Melbourne. The program brought local farmers to primary and secondary school children so the children could learn about farming techniques and industries. The initial 6 month program was highly successful with 40 farmers involved in 240 online ‘incursions’ with almost 10,000 students from 49 schools in the Greater Melbourne region. The farmers were paid for their time and expertise. The program was free for schools and they were provided with a number of learning resources. The participating schools reported an 84% increase in student knowledge and 98% of the teachers said they would recommend the program. The initial program was funded by the Victorian Government’s “Working for Victoria” program during the Covid pandemic.

Having set up and successfully delivered the initial program, including the development of learning resources, the opportunity exists to re-boot it in future years. In addition to incursions, the program can be expanded to include school excursions to farms and other agricultural facilities to enhance the first-hand experience and learning for students.