In May this year, we celebrated seven of our farm hands starting their Certification I in horticulture and since then, their personal growth has been more impressive than the produce they’ve been growing!
But why does Real Futures Carnarvon have farm hands?
Because we own a plantation, set up to provide horticulture training and employment to our local First Nations clients on the Community Development Program.
Our first cohort of horticulture students has taken a year of planning and a valuable partnership with Central Regional TAFE.
Over the past 5-months, these students have been learning on the job, utilising the plantation for all the practical aspects of the training.
Here’s just some of skills they’ve been learning:
- Safe working practices
- Basic chemical safety
- Irrigation set-up and management
- Maintenance of machinery and equipment
- Soil preparation and monitoring
- Planting, nurturing, harvesting and processing produce
Healthy Fun on the Job
It’s not just serious study and work for our horticulture crew.
Recently the team harvested home grown produce from their patch and made pizza and smoothies. They really kicked up the fun by using the blender bike to power their smoothie making!
Celebrating Harvest with a Home-Grown Feast
In August, our students enjoyed the fruits (and vegetables) of their labour and impressed us with a home-grown feast!
After months of planting and dedicated nurturing, the team harvested a variety of fresh, ripe produce.
They then got to work in the kitchen and we were beyond impressed with what they cooked!
Here’s what was on the menu:
- Buttered bush beans
- Baked zucchini with parmesan
- Potato salad seasoned with dill
- A fresh garden salad of tomato, lettuce and cucumber
- Broccoli and chicken stir fry
- Steamed corn
- Fresh passionfruit juice
Delicious!
Any excess produce was shared out to their families, Real Futures staff and some was even driven out to the Burringurrah community by Sean!
We hope their studies with us have not only ignited a passion for horticulture, but also for nutritious, veggie filled meals.
The Future is Bright
These students will carry on their Horticulture certification and once they’ve graduated, they can move into a career in the industry. Or they have the option of furthering their studies with the Certificate II in Horticulture!
The Real Future Carnarvon team will support them with job search, applications and preparing for work.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to Central Regional TAFE for their expert, innovative and encouraging teaching. We greatly value our partnership and look forward to supporting future cohorts of horticulture students!
