High school students from across the country graduated from their LEADAg program and are taking the next step in their agricultural journeys.
The one-year program ran through Central and Western Queensland and delivered hands-on practical activities and training for a selective group of applicants.
The group of 12 students, one being Calvary Christian College graduate Connor McIntosh, all finished the LEADAg program on Friday 10 November.
“Being from Logan Brisbane, I am so fortunate to have been able to see that side of the country,” Connor said.
“It was an amazing experience and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
“I learned about agriculture and the importance of community and meeting new people.
“The course taught me to have a deeper appreciation for the agricultural industry and it portrayed how far Australia has come not just domestically but internationally as well.”
As this is the program’s second year in the making, the community-owned group, developed by CHRRUP, received 136 applications with only 12 slots available.
The not-for-profit organisation is dedicated to showcasing Central and Western Queensland’s thriving and connected rural communities to students from Queensland and New South Wales.
The program was split into three blocks throughout the year, all located in Emerald, Clermont and Longreach.
Block one, held in Emerald, covered farm safety activities, first aid, small motors orientation, tours of the Fairbairn Dam and Costa farm and an introduction to cropping management and science.
Students were then taken out to Longreach for block two, where they focused on small animal production, mustering sheep, and orientation to woolshed operations with sessions on AgTech, biosecurity, horsemanship and mental health and wellbeing in rural areas.
The program was finished off with block three in the Clermont and Emerald regions with hands-on experiences in large livestock production, utilising working dogs, fencing and pasture management and tours of the Emerald Saleyards and Van Dyke Feedlot.
Once he began school at Calvary Christian College in Logan Brisbane in 2018, Connor developed a strong passion for the agricultural industry.
“I love agriculture because there are so many different avenues and there’s always going to be a job there,” he said.
“Compared to Logan the small rural towns are amazing and it would be the dream to move out to a remote area and live there.
“It’s just a completely different feel compared to the big cities.”
Connor said he definitely will be a part of the industry moving forward.
