Year 9 & 10 

Farm to Fork Food Science Day Trip

On Friday 14 July the Year 9/10 Farm to Fork Food Science elective class was fortunate enough to attend Myuna Farms, located in Doveton. Myuna Farm is an operating community and children's farm. The farm allows its pupils to pet baby animals, be in the presence of kangaroos and other native animals and learn about Australian farming as well as sustainability.

We began the day by visiting the animal nursery. We were able to pat lambs, bunnies, goats, and calves. As a group we are pleased to say that visiting the baby animals was one of the many highlights of our day. The remainder of our experience at the farm involved learning about the ways in which the farm operates, the importance of soil health, the carbon cycle, wetland biodiversity, and green groceries/shopping locally. Interestingly, we learned that shopping locally limits the delivery of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as produce is not getting imported or transported from overseas. Our guides also informed us of the ways in which the farm aims to be sustainable through its use of wind turbines and solar panels to ensure that the farm is using as much renewable energy as possible. 

Another memorable highlight of the day was when we all had the opportunity to catch a train ride and take a scenic tour of the farm. We then travelled to the wetlands. There, we saw bats that hung on the various trees, ducks that inhabited the shallow waters, as well as the rest of the wetland. We were also given the opportunity to assess the ecosystem’s health by using a net to discover the invertebrates and other organisms that inhabit the waters. We learned that the variety of organisms that inhabit the waters can provide us with insight into the water’s health, as some can only thrive in less polluted waters. As we examined our nets, we learned that the waters were healthy, because the invertebrates that occupy the waters could not thrive in highly polluted areas. Our guides highlighted the ways in which humans can damage the environment and the urgency to conserve species’ habitats to maintain biodiversity. 

Overall, we are forever grateful for this experience and the knowledge in which we gained throughout the day. We would like to thank our teacher Mrs Matejin and Mrs Carfora who made this day both possible and memorable. 

Leah Pikoulas (Year 9/10)