Friday, March 29, 2024

Lincoln opens dairy farm to public

Avatar photo
Lincoln University is opening its dairy farm to the public later this month.
Reading Time: 2 minutes

The event will showcase the operations of a commercial dairy farm and provide perspective on the broader scientific, commercial and logistical aspects of sustainable food production.

It is organised by the South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) and Fonterra, and will include nine outdoor educational demonstrations and displays to take people on the journey of ‘turning sunshine into food’.

A central marquee will offer information to the public, along with samples of a range of milk-based products, such as cheeses, yoghurt, milk drinks and ice creams.

It is hoped those attending will come away with a wider understanding of the primary sector as a whole.

“Although New Zealand remains less densely populated than many overseas countries, most of us live in highly urbanised areas. This has removed many of the opportunities for consumers to experience the transformation of sunshine into food,” SIDDC executive director Ron Pellow said.

“With a particular focus on dairy, we hope to show the extent the primary sector plays in our day-to-day lives. Almost every ingredient or item of food in the supermarket or at your local café has come from a farm, and so we think it’s important that people can see the processes that get these products from the paddock to the plate,” he said.

The Farm Open Day for the public is to be held on Saturday November 22, from 1pm to 4pm. On Friday November 21, schools can register to bring their students along as part of an educational day out at Schools’ Day, from 12.30pm to 2.45pm.

“We see the Schools’ Day as being particularly important,” Rosie Petrowski of SIDDC said. “Many students have limited first-hand experience of farm life or the complex aspects of food production.”

“Of the classes already registered to visit, most are outside traditional agriculture. This is very encouraging, as it suggests an increasing interest in New Zealand’s ability to produce food,” says Rosie.

Entry to the Farm Open Day is free, thanks to support from a number of sponsor organisations.

Travelling to LUDF takes 20-30 minutes from central Christchurch. The farm is about 2 kilometres from Lincoln, at the southern end of Shands Road, just before the intersection of Shands Road and Ellesmere Junction Road.

More information on the event can be found at www.sunshine-into-food.co.nz

 

Total
0
Shares
People are also reading