OUR focus this month has continued to be on engagement activities with the view to building capacity.
This allowed us to meet George the Farmer, a jovial children’s character whose mission is to help children understand more about agriculture. Since he was first launched in July 2014 as an interactive story app, the George the Farmer brand, subsequent products and performances have won national awards, been backed up by five-star reviews and delighted many kiddies and adults alike all over Australia and further afield.
George has now ventured into the world of chicken meat. A short video filmed across a number of farm sites in South Australia explains how chicken is produced, the importance of nutritious feed and of course how tasty chicken is. Of course, it wouldn’t be a children’s program without a bit of a song and choreographed dancing.
The team at George the Farmer, including Simone Kain and Ben Hood and their crew, did an excellent job writing the script, song and ensuring the day ran smoothly. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them and I look forward to seeing the finished product soon.
We are nearing the end of the incubation period for our youth innovation challenge grant. This means we are finalising our minimum viable product with the view to deliver an industry-relevant training and engagement package that will ensure we are building our future workforce.
We are currently focusing on the greater Tamworth region but if successful will be able to roll out to other locations in Australia. If you have any specific ideas around training and engagement that would help on your farm, or you want to get involved, feel free to contact us at poultry hub@une.edu.au
Finally, we are in the process of signing off this year’s round of funding. Stay tuned to hear about the many great projects and results over coming months. Some of this research will be talked about at our Ideas Exchange conference to be held in late-September in Brisbane.
The main focus this year will be building capacity. If you would like more information or to get involved, please drop us a line.
www.poultryhub.org