Michelle Slater
Glengarry Primary School kids are overdosing on cuteness as two special visitors are helping teach students about potential careers in the dairy industry.
Three-week old calves named Glen and Garry are being pampered by doting students for a three-week stint as part of a Dairy Australia program Cows Create Careers.
Grades four, five and six students are taking turns feeding their young charges, cleaning out the yards and changing the sawdust and ensuring the young animals don’t get sick.
The children weigh the calves to monitor their growth as part of the practical project and complete some theory and hear from guest speakers.
Teacher Jodie Saunders said students were looking into potential careers in the agriculture sector and related opportunities in science, IT and genetics.
“The kids were so excited. We had to set rules or the kids would be there every second of the day if they could be. Lots of kids said they now want a calf to raise or to have cows when they are older,” Ms Saunders said.
Ms Saunders said the project had given the students a greater understanding of how complex the dairy industry is.
“I think the kids did not realise how much work is involved in dairying – instead of just going to the shop and buying milk – it’s opened their eyes to food production.” She said the calves were on loan from a school farming family and would go back home after their break from the farm.
