The urban / rural disconnect

[Gob]

Three-quarters of Australian children in their final year of primary school believe cotton socks come from animals and 27 per cent are convinced yoghurt grows on trees.

A national survey of year 6 and 10 students by the Australian Council for Educational Research found yawning gaps in young people's knowledge of basic food origins.

In a hypothetical lunch box of bread, cheese and a banana, only 45 per cent in year 6 could identify all three as from farms.

Animal, vegetable or mineral? Report shows Australian school children are unsure of common food origins.

More than 40 per cent in year 10 thought cotton came from an animal and more than a quarter of their younger peers believed yoghurt came from plants. In year 10, only 13 per cent identified yoghurt as a plant product.

The Primary Industries Education Foundation, which commissioned the research to be released today, said the findings were a ''wake-up'' call.

''We're a very urbanised nation,'' said the foundation's chairman, Cameron Archer. ''Food is relatively cheap. Everyone takes it for granted and we're quite complacent about our well-being.''

Dr Archer, who is the principal of Tocal agricultural college, near Maitland, said he was surprised at the ignorance of some pupils.

''I was surprised that some of these very, very basic relationships weren't understood,'' he said. ''It's fascinating you can have a big bale of hay one day and then milk to produce a few thousand lattes the next day.''

Dr Archer said it was incumbent on the agricultural industry to improve young Australians' knowledge of farming and its products, and a national curriculum provided a good opportunity to increase awareness.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/educatio ... z1oBRDYqT9

[Joe Guy]

In year 10, only 13 per cent identified yoghurt as a plant product.

Does the author think those 13 percent are correct?

[The Hen]

No, I think the author is recognizing that 12% had rectified their thinking since they were younger. At least that is what I am hoping they were trying to say.

[Rick]

I don't know man.

When I was younger I thought cotton came from sheep and wool came from goats.

Sheep always looked so soft and plump, I couldn't believe anything that scratchy could come from them...

[BoSoxGal]

Yoghurt is a plant product because it originates from the plant matter the cow ingests? That's all I can think they might mean.

This verifies my theory that children are generally stupider these days, which I blame on the parents who aren't teaching at home, but rather planting the kids in front of Sponge Bob, et al. & video games. Not all parents, but many.

[Rick]

Most of the Vanilla yogurt I've seen has a picture of a vanilla blossom on it somewhere.

None of them have a picture of a cow, glue on the other hand...

[Lord Jim]

Yoghurt is a plant product because it originates from the plant matter the cow ingests? That's all I can think they might mean.

Well, I suppose they could be over thinking the question....

Or, they could just be stone ignorant about how yogurt is produced....

Call me cynical, but I'm going to go with the stone ignorant explanation...

[Rick]

OK this one is sending a mixed message even though that's a pretty funky looking cow...

[Joe Guy]

I believe Hen is correct. The author was saying in a somewhat confusing manner that there were less students later that actually believed that yogurt is a plant product.

The error is that 'year 10' statistics in relation to students that believe yogurt is a plant product is referenced twice with two different results.

My brain hurts...

[Lord Jim]

Come to think of it, if they're using this logic:

Yoghurt is a plant product because it originates from the plant matter the cow ingests

Then milk, cheese and ice cream also come from plants...

Come to think of it so does beef, since without plants, there are no cows....

[Joe Guy]

Yes, so using that logic any meat from an animal that is an herbivore is plant based.

Hey Gob! You can eat grass fed beef!!

They're plant products.

Come to think of it, if you allow yourself to believe that shite, you can eat rabbits, squirrels and all kinds of vegetarian animals since they are the result of a vegetarian diet, which means they were manufactured by vegetables.

[Rick]

How bout all them veggies out there taking Gel caps...

[BoSoxGal]

Actually, when you get right down to it, all natural foods we eat are basically made of water and sunshine.

[Rick]

[alice]

...

''We're a very urbanised nation,'' said the foundation's chairman, Cameron Archer. ''Food is relatively cheap. Everyone takes it for granted and we're quite complacent about our well-being.''

Dr Archer, who is the principal of Tocal agricultural college, near Maitland, said he was surprised at the ignorance of some pupils.

''I was surprised that some of these very, very basic relationships weren't understood,'' he said. ''It's fascinating you can have a big bale of hay one day and then milk to produce a few thousand lattes the next day.''

Dr Archer said it was incumbent on the agricultural industry to improve young Australians' knowledge of farming and its products, and a national curriculum provided a good opportunity to increase awareness.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/educatio ... z1oBRDYqT9

I know people who were born in a local urban area and grew up in that area, and never really venture from there. They have no idea what the background processes are for their food and comfort, and not much interest in knowing. They just complain if for whatever reason they are inconvenienced.

There are people who go to the supermarket and complain if the fruit and vegetables have any blemishes or bumps that make them look less than perfect - they have these expectations because the big supermarket industries have demanded these high levels and the public has grown to expect it. They don't care where the fruit and veges come from, they just want them to look 'right'. And be cheap. These are the people who are destroying the Australian farming industries and they don't even know it. Nor do they really care, as long as they get what they're used to.
And there's been a recent uproar about the standard of fruit that goes into fruit juices - because the people, in general, don't even contemplate that less than perfect fruit may exist, and that this less than perfect fruit might find it's way to them via such 'underhand' ways as tinned fruit or fruit juices. Or that the fruit and veges may be somehow frozen so as to satisfy the demand for this produce year round - but without diminishing the 'quality' or there are further complaints.

Petting zoos are becoming increasingly popular because young children never see real farm animals any more. But petting zoos just make it look cute and fun and don't really show the leap from cute little lamb to wool and meat. So there's still a huge reality disconnect between patting the little calf and then going home and eating a beef casserole.

And there's that big push for more land for housing, so the farmers are selling up because it's no longer profitable to farm, but the people still demand the same high grade food and then these same people freak at the idea of genetically modifying food so that more food can be produced using less land and resources - and these people don't even understand that most of the 'natural' food they eat is already genetically modified or in some other way artificially enhanced.

Anything that increases people's awareness, but more importantly increases their 'care factor', is a very good thing.

[that was a cool song keld feldspar ]

[dales]

Actually, when you get right down to it, all natural foods we eat are basically made of water and sunshine.

Carbon.

[BoSoxGal]

keld, the video won't play for me on iGadget; what's the song so I can look it up on YouTube?

[dgs49]

I think the bottom line is that kids are going to learn, regardless. The question is, WHAT are they going to learn?

I am too dumb to use more than a small fraction of what my "smart phone" is capable of, but can recite the lyrics of a thousand pop songs of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. Is any knowledge more worthless than that?

I'd be less concerned about kids not knowing where their food comes from than not knowing any history or basic math.

[Sean]

keld, the video won't play for me on iGadget; what's the song so I can look it up on YouTube?

It's "We Are All Made of Stars" by Moby.