Glencore's Mt Owen and Glendell Operations apprentices put their skills to good use helping the St Catherine's Catholic College assemble a new chicken caravan.
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The caravan, capable of housing 30 laying hens, will form an integral part of the College's regenerative approach to farming on their Hunter River property according to agriculture teacher Jo Towers.
"This year we sold all our tillage equipment so we take adopt this type of farm production where the soil is not disturbed but rather enhanced by rotational grazing followed up by the chickens through each paddock," she said.
"The chickens will fertilise the soils, scratch it up a bit and hopefully eat the fly larvae from the cow manure and thereby reduce our fly population."
Eggs produced will be used in the canteen and the school's hospitality faculty with any excess sold.
The school applied for a grant from Glencore's community investment program and received $4200 which covered the cost of the Chicken Caravan 30.
"A big bonus for us was the offer from Glencore for apprentices to come on-site to assemble the caravan which was fantastic," said Jo.
Mt Owen and Glendell Operations, environment and community officer, Melanie Dillon said five apprentices from the mine - four doing heavy plant and one an electrical trade worked on the assembly.
"We are very pleased to assist the school with this project and it was great to have the apprentices complete the assembly for them," she said.