"AT THE BELL TOWER" - A FLINDERS PODCAST
Matthew Flinders Anglican College has a new podcast with College Principal Michelle Carroll on the mic!
“At the Bell Tower” aims to guide parents along the schooling journey in healthy, balanced and compassionate ways! Join Michelle to dive into captivating conversations with some of our expert educators at Flinders and thought leaders from diverse industries.
We'd love to you tune into Episode 4: Flinders' Award-Winning Farm with Jeff MacLennan
To visit our Track list with all episodes, visit here.
TITLE
Flinders’ Award-Winning Farm: Teaching a connection with real food
EPISODE SUMMARY
Join College Principal Michelle Carroll and Jeff MacLennan, aka Farmer Jeff, for this new podcast episode focused on our Flinders Farm.
In this conversation, Michelle and Jeff share their passion for the Flinders Farm, which was recently awarded “The Educator’s 5-Star Sustainable Programs Award 2024”.
Flinders is one of just six schools in Queensland and a total of 25 schools across Australia to be awarded this year, recognised as “a shining example of effective sustainability education in action”.
Since 2019, the Flinders Farm has been regenerated to become a vibrant, hands-on environmental education hub for more than 1,400 students from Prep to Year 12 at Flinders and the children of the Flinders Early Learning Centre.
The Farm features a 900m2 citrus orchard, 500m2 of vegetable beds, 14 bee hives, chickens, a compost-making facility and a biofertilizer-making facility.
The aim is to educate, inspire and equip students to be ecologically literate, innovative and to play a direct role in imagining and creating a better future for the Farm.
Let’s dive into the conversation on the pod! Read the full story here.
IN THIS EPISODE
[1:50] Jeff shares his career journey, beginning as a boy helping on the family farm which developed to become the third largest citrus farm in Queensland with more than 40,000 trees. At Flinders, Jeff is responsible for the Farm’s development and teaches students regenerative agriculture.
[3:40] Jeff explains the Farm’s diversity and regeneration. The property started with 100 plants in 2019 and has grown to sustain more than 2,000 plants today.
[5:00] Need some honey and like your produce to be freshly picked and chemical-free? The fortnightly Flinders Farmer’s Market is much-loved by the College community.
[6:45] It’s vital for young people to have a connection to real food. Jeff shares how the College’s dynamic Year 9 Agricultural Science program enables this through a high-quality, hands-on and real-world transformational learning experience.
[11:20] Michelle and Jeff discuss the Farm winning “The Educator’s 5-Star Sustainable Programs Award 2024”!
[12:35] Jeff shares what’s next for the Farm.
(14:20) Michelle Carroll received some questions from the Flinders Early Learning Centre (FELC) children to ask Farmer Jeff. FELC students have been enjoying their visits to the Farm for many years.
FELC Questions:
Henry asks: Do bees close their eyes when they sleep?
Emily: What food do you give your chickens?
Ryka: Does Erol the emu ever lie down?
River: Does Erol the emu get cold and wear a jumper?
PODCAST FEATURE SEGMENTS
The Flinders Fast Five [14:00]
With Principal Michelle Carroll, asking our Flinders Early Learning Centre (FELC) students: “What’s your favourite thing about the Flinders Farm?”
Students’ voices featured: Archie, Henry, Lola, Esme, Tom
A Flinders Fact [17:51]
With Gerry Price, Flinders staff member for more than 33 years and Honorary Life Member of the Old Flinderians’ Association.
Learn a College fact from our history since foundation in 1990 and have a go at guessing the tricky question Mr Price poses. If you know the answer, comment on our Facebook or Instagram pages, and the first correct answer receives a coffee from our Flinders Quarterdeck Cafe.
LEARN MORE
- Want to join upcoming events at Flinders? Check out our Events at Flinders
- Follow Flinders on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
- Visit our Flinders Website News- Listen to more podcast episodes on Soundcloud
