The year 9 Agriculture class headed off up the Bell’s Line of Road towards the apple district of Bilpin, some 100kms from Joeys and around 600 metres above sea-level. The class was heading to Bilpin Springs Orchard, predominantly an apple orchard but also growing peaches, pears and nectarines.

None of these boys would have experienced this type of Agriculture before and the visit was organised to show the boys that the management of an orchard is a very complex operation. The proprietor, Mr. Cedric Lethbridge, is a very “switched-on” farmer who is a wonderful communicator as well as a user of the latest digital technology, which he utilises in order to run his orchard very productively.

The boys were able to fix irrigation systems, pick fruit for St. Annes Nursing home, Gladesville, drive “cherry-pickers” and release beneficial insects into the orchard that play a major role in the control of pests and diseases through the process called Integrated Pest Management.

R.M.Forsberg,

Agriculture Teacher.