The interdependence theme was delivered in a completely different way than any of the previous themes. It was interesting to compare the two farms the struggles the farmers have gone throughout their lives to get to where they are today. Even though the final product was the same the way in which the two farms work varied significantly. The first farm relied heavily on technology – using machines to gather the feed, deliver the feed to the cows and milk the cows. This farm kept the cows inside all year using shutters to shelter them from the weather outside. At first, I felt this to be cruel on the cows however after being told of the harsh winters and the impact they have on the farmland I realised that it is in the best interest of the farmer’s income that the cows are kept healthy inside. At this farm, the cows were not subject to being milked by a farmer at certain points of the day, instead they could go to the milking area whenever they liked. This was done at a time and robotically and screened for nutrients the cow may be lacking, if that is the case these nutrients will then be incorporated into their diet.

The second farm was an organic farm and portrayed what I expected a farm to look like. At this farm, the cows were kept outside for a lot of the year and only spend the harshest winter months indoors. The milking process was manual and involved the farmer connected the cows to the machines himself. This process meant that multiple cows could be milked at the same time.

 

Below shows pictures of the two different milking parlours 

 

However, the two farms also had some similarities. For example, they both kept the calves in individual pens away from their mother. This was to give them the best possible start as one of the farmers explained that when they had left the calves with their mother, they had a higher chance of dying within a matter of weeks after birth.

 

I personally preferred the second farm as it was, in my opinion, a traditional farm. Although it was impressive to see the more modern farm and be able to compare the two. Taking pupils to a farm on a school trip would be insightful for the pupils as they could develop a better understanding of how products – like milk – get from the cow to the shelves. Arranging a trip to a farm through RHET is something I would like to do as a teacher, we were informed that they do the risk assessment for the teacher which takes some of the pressure off the teacher/school.

 

The Sustainable Seas study task allowed us to look at interdependence in the sea. We worked in groups and each member of the group utilized different materials to gain a better understanding of the topic. We then used the knowledge taken from the readings and made a Piktochart. I learned a great deal from this task such as the existence of the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) an organisation aiming to protect the species our seas and safeguard the seafood supplies for the future. I also became familiar with some policies involved with the sustainability of the seas. For instance, the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which is the guidelines used to regulate the number of fish in EU waters (COM (2015) 812). It was also interesting to hear story of a family who run their own fishing business and discover how it has changed over the years – similar to the farmers last week.

 

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about interdependence. I feel this is due to hearing from people who make a living from interdependence and hearing how their lives are impacted through policies and communities. Although I do also think this would be a challenging topic to address with school pupils and would perhaps best be taught through practical lessons like what we experienced.

 

Reference List

 

European Commission. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). COM (2015) 812.