George the Farmer set to inspire children at Henty

The award-winning creator of “George the Farmer” will return this year in guest performances at the Hutcheon & Pearce site at the field days.

Simone Kain, and George the Farmer, who celebrated his ninth birthday in April, will be performing daily at the Hutcheon & Pearce site at 489-498 Block M at 11am and 2pm, along with new musical talent Shaun Brown. 

Their latest book release, Haystack Hat-Trick, is the thirteenth in the George the Farmer series and is great for teaching about fodder, haymaking and teamwork. 

Printed on paper from well managed forests using environmentally friendly vegetable-based inks, it will also be available for purchase and signings along with the rest of their titles.

In addition to best-selling books and catchy tunes, George, his wife Ruby, and children, Jack and Lucy, have also inspired a series of paddock-to-plate videos featured on YouTube and ABC TV, plush toys, clothing, merchandise and free curriculum-aligned teaching guides.

Founder of George the Farmer, Simone Kain, said educating children about where food and fibre comes from remains at the heart of everything they do.

Simone grew up on a farm, is married to a farmer, has three farm-obsessed boys and is from Penola in South Australia. 

“When my eldest son, George, was two I couldn’t find any books or apps for him that told sequential stories about life on the land and in particular what happens on large-scale commercial farms,” she said.

Simone was a keynote speaker at the Rabobank Farm2Fork/Grow2Gether Summit in Sydney in 2023.

“The Rabobank community fund and client councils are supporting us in sharing our story and raising our profile to attend events such as the Darwin Royal Show and, last year, supply almost 200 book packs to primary schools in Australia and New Zealand,” she said.

“This partnership will increase the ag literacy of thousands of kids while inspiring them to consider careers in agriculture.”

The National Farmer Wellbeing report found over 75 per cent of surveyed farmers felt undervalued by the public. 

“This lack of recognition – whether real or perceived – is a significant concern, given that 90 per cent of the food we eat in Australia is produced domestically,” Simone said. 

“By reconnecting consumers with the people and processes behind their food we can strengthen communities, increase health and well-being and develop a deeper appreciation for our farmers and natural resources.

“By educating our young people, we can dispel myths and falsehoods about agriculture, increase support for the sector and make farmers feel more valued in their work.

“At George the Farmer, we are providing an integral role in raising the awareness and appreciation of those involved in the agricultural sector. Through picture story books, paddock to plate videos and music, the George the Farmer platform engages and educates children in a fun way.”

To date, about 100,000 students across Australia have benefited from these resources, covering topics such as apples, chickpeas, wheat, wool and dairy. 

The Educator’s Guides are designed for Foundation to Year 4 students with engaging, creative and entrepreneurial activities such as designing a robotic dairy, making butter from scratch, jewellery from seeds and how to measure carbon sequestration in trees.

The guides are free to download and there are also George and Ruby cuddle dolls as an interactive teaching aid. 

“By instilling a deeper appreciation for the hard work and dedication required to produce the clean, green food we’re fortunate to consume, we can nourish the agricultural industry and ensure a sustainable supply of clean, safe and healthy food for generations to come.” 

George the Farmer new musical talent Shaun Brown said he couldn’t wait to sing the collection of songs, especially the P-O-T-A-T-O song, to the kids at Henty this year.