Year 11 Agriculture students recently visited Dookie College, part of the University of Melbourne, to explore different farming systems. Hosted by Dr Chris Barnes, lecturer in viticulture and wine, we had a broad range of experiences.
Within the 120-year-old winery on site, we explored the passive solar design of the old building, recessed into a slope to control temperature. Even on the hottest days a constant temperature is maintained due to the design. Some of the challenges of making modern wine in such an old building were also discussed and we learnt about steps taken to control spoilage and other issues.
Students then explored the campus of Dookie, which is more like a town, with its own post office, petrol station and primary school. The 25m pool is always a highlight of the tour. The story of Dookie students being given wheelbarrows and shovels and then told to dig out a pool if they wanted one always amazes our students.
The final highlight of the tour was time spent with the Dairy Farm Manager. A full tour of the farm, including the robotic milking plant, on-site digester, water recycling system and the management of the laser-levelled irrigated paddocks were all demonstrated. Students had the opportunity to measure grass yield, examine faeces for nutritional analysis, compare nutrition programs for life cycles and feed poddy calves.
The College would like to thank Dr Chris Barnes for his wonderful hospitality. University of Melbourne is an outstanding destination for our students in the Agriculture program and the trip to Dookie is always a highlight of the year.
