Farm Diaries: producer video

• This is an excellent resource for studies of agricultural production in the context of the Design and Technologies, Mathematics, and Economics and business curriculums. In Design and Technologies the video's detailed coverage of its 700+ sow piggery operation is very useful for upper primary and secondary content descriptions including how and why food is produced in managed environments (years 5/6) and how food is produced in managed environments and how these can become more sustainable (years 7/8). The mixed farming activities at the Tintinara property would also be a most worthwhile case study for the years 9/10 content description about investigating and making judgments on the ethical and sustainable production and marketing of food.
• The resource also provides a valuable context for mathematics, especially for the year 6 content description in the Statistics and probability strand that calls for interpretation of secondary data presented in digital media. Alastair Johnson's commentary is packed with secondary data and these provide opportunities not only for statistical interpretation but also for problem-solving activities involving decimals, percentages, rates, and means.
• The video is also of considerable value for the Economic and business curriculum, particularly its year 8 content description about the characteristics of successful businesses and the year 10 content description about the ways businesses organise themselves to improve productivity. Mount Boothby Pastoral Company is a family operation carrying out mixed farming on a number of properties throughout South Australia. Intensive pig production accounts for about 80% of the business. They also raise sheep, Angus cattle, and irrigated lucerne for seed production as well as cropping substantial acreage for pig feed.

5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10