It has been an amazing couple of weeks for the Agricultural Science students, with the Sunflower Competition, AgriTech Program completion, and the Maleny Show.
UQ Sunflower Competition
Once again as tradition has it, the Year 10’s ventured down to University of Queensland with their 12 week old sunflower to compete against loads of schools from South East Queensland for the heaviest sunflower. This year Glasshouse Christian College came second with Alyssa Rose’s sunflower weighing a massive 3285 grams!
AgriTech
The Year 11 Agricultural Science students have been involved in the AgriTech Program, where they were getting hands on with the very latest technology available in agriculture thanks to the Queensland Government’s initiative ‘Engaging Queenslanders in Science’. Technology has included Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) surveying with a Phantom 3 Drone, Electromagnetic Surveying and Light Detection and Radar (LiDAR) surveys from satellites! These technologies of the future, are the NOW for our Agricultural Science students!
At completion of the surveys, the students then presented their findings and recommendations for the various farms they surveyed across the region to Research Scientists, Producers and Drone Operators! Some of the special guests included, Tony Gilbert of QLD Drones, Stuart Irvine-Brown of DAF and Helen Thompson from the Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation.
The icing on the cake, so to speak, was the Year 12’s Hospitality students sensational Farmer Harvest Luncheon in the field, featuring our key produce, strawberries, pineapples, macadamias, custard apples, ginger and fingerlimes. These students should be commended on their exceptional food creations and amazing service, and we are all blessed by the ever amazing Mrs Julie Peters who makes it all happen.
Maleny Show
The GCC Aggies excelled in every way at the Maleny show this year, and has certainly been our biggest year yet! First up, both Year 10 and 11 presented to the crowds in the Small Farmers tent, providing great information of plant nutrition and technology in Agriculture. The most successful category was the Produce section with 2 Grand Champion Ribbons, 15 x 1st, 6 x 2nds and 6 x 3rds. This achievement has taken students the entire semester timely planting out seeds and seedling of a massive range of fruit and vegetables.
The Aggies also entered for the first time the Poulty section, and came away with Grand Champion Plymouth Rock Rooster, as well as 1st and 2nd for Plymouth Rock pullets. A few of the students also practiced at being Poultry Judges in the Novice Poultry Judging Competition, and certainly got a taste of how detailed judging can be!
In the cheese section, the Year 11 Aggies after begging to make cheese again this year, received a Gold and a Silver for their Fetta and Ricotta they made under the guidance of Mrs Julie Peters.
Finally, the proudest activity of them all, was the willingness of the Aggies to give back to the Maleny Show and volunteer to assist the Maleny Show Society with various jobs throughout the day. It is one thing to compete and aim for the prizes, but it is so much more rewarding to give and help others. Very proud of my Aggies!
So overall, massive achievements all round and certainly a testament as to how hard the Ag Science students have worked all year!
Jade King