T.H.L.H. School students Annie Matthews and Grace Kelly were recent Guest Speakers at the Grenfell Rotary Club. Last April, Grace and Annie had taken part in a RYCAG (Rotary Youth Crop, Agronomy, Grain and Seed) School at Narromine to learn about the Cotton Industry. Eighteen students from around the Central West had participated in a very comprehensive overview of this comparatively new industry, sponsored and run by members of the Rotary Club of Narromine. Students were billeted at Narromine Racecourse and hit the ground running; on Day 1 they learned about and examined machinery used, and about the different methods of irrigation employed. In Narromine, the water supply is drawn from the Macquarie River. A tour of a cotton farm followed, where the young people learned how the crop is grown and harvested, what a cotton bale looks like and the likely price received by the farmer. On Day 2 there were discussions about GM, and particularly its effect on other crops. A lot of the labouring work is done by Backpackers.
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The students inspected aerial spraying equipment, and learned the importance of thoroughly cleaning aircraft and machinery used in the operation. It was noted that spraying is done no more than 10 feet above the crop level, which leaves no room for error. Day 3 covered financial aspects – the costs of sowing, growing and harvesting, and insurance. The School finished with a Presentation Luncheon. This and similar Schools were begun some years ago by the Rotary Club of Wellington, and have proven to be an excellent learning experience for young people in the Central West. Congratulations to both girls for a most interesting and entertaining address.