Mackay Christian College | Agriculture Centre

Learning through life, preparing for your future

For nearly 2 decades, students from Mackay Christian College Agricultural Centre of Excellence have successfully completed the Senior Agricultural Science curriculum and continued onto further studies at agricultural colleges and universities or have gained employment in the agricultural sector. The Centre is fully equipped, and is a dynamic, living, teaching environment that offers students a wide range of learning opportunities.

Our main goals are:

Teaching students where their food comes from and how much time, effort and money it took to get the food onto their plate
Building resilience in young adults
Preparing students for workforce and further study
Providing practical opportunities wherever possible to apply agricultural theories and practices.
Inspiring students to enter the Agricultural Industry
Creating awareness of the vast opportunities in the Agricultural Industry

Commencing in Year 7, students gain an insight into the Australian Agricultural industry with topics covered such as:

Farm safety
Budgeting
Planning
River systems
The importance of sustainability

Year 8 begins with students learning about:

Where their food comes from
Growing vegetables
The opportunity to gain an MCC Ag Centre tractor licence

Year 9 provides students with:

Hands on experience in the safe operation of brush cutters
An insight into robotics and technology in agriculture
Machinery and maintenance
The Cotton Industry
The Dairy Industry with an excursion to Eungella learning firsthand milking techniques
Australian Goat Industry (including practical husbandry techniques)
Beef Cattle / Animal Husbandry Techniques

Students cover topics such as:

Chemicals & chemical safety
Fencing (including practical hands on fencing project)
Horse husbandry (including horse riding excursion)
Poultry Industry (raising chickens)

Senior Agricultural Science (OP/Authority subject). MCC offers a fully resourced Senior Agricultural Science subject whereby students cover topics like:

Plant science & broad acre cropping
Sugar production
The Beef feedlot Industry
Animal reproduction
Beef Cattle / Animal Husbandry Techniques
Field trips to curriculum related farms and industries provide students with opportunities to witness and experience industry best practice. Integrated into the Senior Ag course students run a miniature feedlot program where students collect, synthesise and evaluate data. The cattle are also entered into led steer competitions at local and regional shows with many ribbons to account for a high level of success.

Certificate II in Rural Operations

In students Senior years (11 &12), they may choose to study and complete a Certificate II in Rural Operations. Using our fully equipped Agricultural Centre, students gain hands on experience at industry standard. Competencies include: OH&S, Assisting with crop establishment and maintenance, fencing operations, monitoring production systems, operating tractors, maintenance on machinery and much more. This gives the student recognition of the practical nature of the course we run here at Mackay Christian College.