During 2025, Yanco Ag students have been part of an exciting agricultural initiative.

Recent rainfall in July and August has been positively received across the Riverina, particularly at the MIA/Riverina School Crop Competition site at Whitton, in southern NSW. Student-sown barley plots, developed in collaboration with the Irrigation Research Extension Committee’s Farm Manager, are thriving and growing well.

The inaugural MIA/Riverina School Crop Competition provides Yanco Ag and other high school students with invaluable hands-on experience in cereal cropping, crop management, and sustainable agriculture practices.

Aligned with the Stage 5 and Stage 6 HSC Agriculture curriculum, this competition enhances classroom learning through practical application, offering students a unique opportunity to deepen their agricultural knowledge while developing essential skills for future careers in the industry.

Eight schools—Coleambally Central School, Yanco Agricultural High School, Murrumbidgee Regional College (Griffith), Hillston Central School, Condobolin High School, and West Wyalong High School—are embracing the challenge of planning, cultivating, and managing their own cereal crop plots.

Under the guidance of local agronomists and industry mentors, student teams are making critical decisions regarding crop selection, planting densities, field dressing percentages, as well as weed and pest management, harvesting, and marketing strategies.

In addition to technical skills, the competition promotes teamwork, critical thinking, and innovation - key attributes for the next generation of agricultural leaders.

"We want students to witness the real-world impact of their decisions in the field while connecting with the people and technologies that are shaping modern farming," said a program coordinator.

"This competition is all about inspiring the future of agriculture."

Running throughout the growing season, the competition will culminate later this year with evaluations based on crop performance, sustainability practices, record-keeping, and production economics.

The MIA/Riverina School Crop Competition is a flagship initiative of the Old Yanconians’ Foundation and its Riverina Agricultural Careers Hub, supported by members of the Business Compendium, local schools, agricultural businesses, and community partners.

Special thanks go to Carl Chirgwin from the NSW Agriculture Teachers’ Association for his exceptional support and tireless efforts in launching this project and to Old Yanconians’ Foundation Executive Officer, Klara Bryant, for her coordination and liaison work.

Without Carl's involvement and dedication, the competition would not have been possible.

Gratitude is also extended to ‘Grow Our Own’ for being the first official sponsor, and to the Irrigation Research & Extension Committee (IREC) for their generous support and for hosting the project on their premises.

The IREC’s commitment to agricultural education and innovation has been instrumental in the competition’s success.

This Crop Competition has sparked significant interest from other schools and businesses, prompting discussions about the possibility of hosting a similar event in the Wagga region.

Additionally, horticultural industries have expressed interest in establishing further sites that showcase cutting-edge technologies to secondary school students.