19 May 2023
QHS Year 9 Geography students embraced learning on the magnificent Liverpool Plains recently.
Discussions on the excursion covered the curriculum students are undertaking as part of their learning on sustainable biomes.
Students and teachers headed to ‘Drayton’ near Breeza owned and operated by the Hamparsum family.
John Hamparsum, met with the two busloads of QHS visitors and took them on an engaging interactive tour of his cotton production - which is currently being picked.
Also attending were Jenny Hughes (Education Manager) and Alec Macintosh (Regional Manager (Northern NSW) from Cotton Australia, who offered students first-hand insight to the cotton industry.
The tour group explored concepts including, how people use and alter biomes for food and fibre production and what strategies producers use to increase global food and fibre security.
Challenges to food and fibre production were also covered as was the management strategies to overcome these challenges and the benefits of cotton.
“Cotton is made into clothing, which is shelter for the body and the seed is food for livestock - so a cotton plant provides two of the most important things we need for survival,” commented John.
As part of John’s presentation, he also discussed the many job opportunities in the thriving Agricultural sector.
“There are many diverse jobs from Agronomist, Farmhand, Mechanic, Labourer, Accountant, Marketing expert, Administration jobs and many more, agriculture is a diverse and cutting-edge industry that is always adapting with the latest innovations and technologies,” said John.
Following the ‘Drayton’ tour, the buses headed to Carroll Cotton Co for a tour of the impressive $25 million Cotton gin, where producers cotton (Like John Hamparsums’) is separated from the seeds and trash.
The operation is an independent cotton gin and the most eastern NSW cotton gin in Australia, giving it an export location and proximity advantage to Sydney and Newcastle ports.
Henry, from Carroll Cotton Gin, spoke on the sustainability aspects of the gin, including recycling plastic wraps and utilising the trash from the cotton extraction for livestock fodder and large-scale composting.
Also linking the days presentations was a discussion on the tagging process - from the GPS of the tractors when crops are planted and picked, to the tagging of cotton bales for delivery to the gin, through the ginning process and to delivery of the cotton – the entire origin of the cotton is traceable.
“Australian cotton is in high demand across the globe, through our sustainable, ethical precision farming practices, the fibre we produce is a long, strong, pure white fibre that has the right diameter and is very popular throughout the world. And the traceability of the entire process is important to the final marketing and sale of the cotton,” concluded John.
QHS would like to extend a huge thank you to John, Jenny, Alec and Henry and their counterparts for a most engaging and informative excursion in our own region.
Well done to all students for their interaction and positive behaviour on the excursion and thank you to all the QHS Teachers and staff who coordinated this amazing opportunity for students.