Our Primary Industries

Introduction 

On this field trip you'll travel to forests, farms, and research centres to see how people are making the most from natural resources to provide food and other products. New Zealand's primary industries export many products and earn billions of dollars every year. Our primary industries have always been important to our economy and with the help of science and technology are providing world class products.  

For a sustainable future, our primary industries need to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity, food safety and animal welfare. During the field trip, you will see how these systems work together to protect and grow our primary industries and our way of life in New Zealand.

Location

You will travel to the Nelson-Marlborough region, where high sunshine hours and a mild climate help plants and animals thrive. You will visit a mussel hatchery and see how mussels are raised and harvested. You will explore a sheep farm where sheep are milked to create cheese and yoghurt. You will also visit a forestry and processing plant to see how they are transforming pine into an extra strong engineered timber.

Meet Shelley the LEARNZ field trip teacher

Watch the introductory video on vimeo.

Travel Day

Read the diary about the travel day from Dunedin to Nelson to begin the Our Primary Industries field trip. Find out what the ambassadors got up to in the ambassador updates.

Tuesday 6 June

Aquaculture, innovation and research

Watch the videos of SPATNZ in Nelson where baby mussel (spat) are being selectively bred to increase the quality and productivity of mussel farming. Read the diary about how science and technology are helping to enhance the sustainability of this industry. Read the ambassador updates.

Wednesday 7 June

Agriculture, animal welfare and food safety

Wake up early so you can help milk sheep. Watch the videos to see how food safety and animal welfare are managed to create high quality cheese and yoghurt. Read the diary about how sheep milk cheese and yoghurt are made. Read the ambassador updates.

Thursday 8 June

Forestry innovation and biosecurity

Investigate a new form of engineered wood and read the diary to find out more about how natural solid wood is processed and transformed into a stronger, sustainable building material. Watch the videos to see how LVL is produced. Read the ambassador updates.