Y1 spent Monday exploring the Paddock to Plate concept for Apple and Cherry Production.
We started the day with a visit to the Orange Regional Museum where students participated in activities identifying equipment and stages involved in fruit production.
We then moved onto Balmoral Orchard where Mr and Mrs West spent time showing us what it takes to produce top quality apples. Students learned the reasons why apples are suited to our region and how apples are graded, packaged and where they finally end up (in more places than we thought!). Students left with apples in hand (and pockets) to continue their paddock to plate journey.
We then travelled to Caernarvon (Biteriot) where Mr and Mrs Hall spent time showing us their magnificent packing facility. We were introduced to new technology involving cameras that take 300 pictures of the fruit every second to decide where they will end up on the production chain. Students sampled cherry juice and learned about export, packaging and how many people it takes to produce cherries from paddock to plate.
What a fantastic day and a great introduction to our journey of discovery into the food of our region.
