On Wednesday 12 June we were excited to launch our Ag-Tech: Bushfoods program with Year 9 and 10 students from Weeroona College Bendigo.

Developed and delivered in collaboration with Bendigo TAFE at their Charleston Road campus, this program focuses on cultivating and studying bushfoods, informed by Indigenous ecological knowledge and current technological advancements in agriculture.

The day began with a traditional welcome and smoking ceremony, followed by discussions on connection to land and culture, including the Murnong plant (Yam Daisy).

Students then engaged in hands-on activities using digital pH meters, sensors, and Raspberry Pis to analyse the health of various soil samples. They visually summarised the collected data, allowing them to compare and contrast the properties of individual soil plots.

A huge thanks to Kellie Jones and Stan Smith from Bendigo TAFE's Animal, Plants and Sciences team for helping to co-facilitate the program, and Anna-Leisa Vietz from Agriculture Victoria.