Old Collegian Welcomes Geography Students

Mr Murray Shaw is an Old Collegian and past President of the Old Collegians whose own children also attended the College.  For over 20 years he has kindly welcomed our Year 11 Geography students to his dairy farm, Bella Vista, in Karaka. As a dairy farmer with almost 500 head of cattle, he is a busy man, but he takes time out of his schedule each year to talk through important aspects of farming with our students.

This week, 75 young geographers made the trip to gather specific information about dairy farming as an example of a sustainable resource. Mr Shaw talked at length about the need to look after not only the health and welfare of the cattle but also the importance of taking care of the land itself to ensure the farm remains a viable resource for future generations.

By following a strict code of practice through good farm management, Mr Shaw has successfully farmed his land for over 40 years. He explained to the students that sound practice on his own farm also ensures the viability of the waterways that pass through his land and that correct spraying procedures safeguard other farm use on neighbouring properties.

The students had the opportunity to be guided around the farm and see how nature’s resources are used in a sustainable way and to visit the milking sheds to gain an overview of the scale of the operation.

The chance to visit a working farm helped to put the students’ learning into context and the first-hand information gathered will be used in the students’ NCEA Geography assessments during the course of the year.  

We are very grateful to Mr Shaw for his on-going interest in Saint Kentigern and for continuing to offer our students this valuable opportunity.