PRENZLAU farmer Megan Bowden became a producer four years ago after being inspired by a documentary. Now she’s the one offering the inspiration.
Megan developed a program that brings farm life into schools, workplaces and childcare centres through hands on egg hatching experiences.
The program, called Dragon Eggs, is rolled out through interactive learning packages that have live stream access to follow the eggs as they hatch.
Anyone taking part in the program is able to buy eggs and chicks as well.
Megan’s love of farming was sparked by documentary ‘The Biggest Little Farm’. It followed a couple who developed a sustainable farm on 80 hectares (200 acres) outside Los Angeles.
It was then the benefit of living and eating sustainably hit home, so she moved from suburbia to a rural property with partner Andrew Rowlands.
They moved to Prenzlau and began re-organising and reprioritising.
They named their new property Dragon Fields Farm and in the space of a few short years, the hard work was paying off.
Dragon Eggs is an arm of their farm business, which connects with schools and childcare centres.
“Andrew and I were already developing an educational program when a friend showed me information about the AgrifFutures grant program,” she said.
“I thought I could easily do a spin off, a smaller version, where we focus on one aspect of our educational program and offer that to childcare centres within the greater South East Queensland area.
“It would give us more reach than the one we were running.
“We facilitated the program at local childcare centres because we needed to be able to get there every week.”
The AgriFutures grant of $7,000 has made it possible to give further depth to their program by taking it to young adults and leaving incubators in the workplace.
The program will be undertaken in three phases, incubator experiences are phase one.
Phase two will be when the program is introduced to primary and high school students.
Phase three is when the program will be opened to anyone wanting to change how they live and work through agriculturally focused experiences.
“People need to understand they can run their own small enterprises because a lot of people have lost their spark,” she said.
“If a big community shift happens and small enterprises start up with people supporting each other, there’s no loser in that situation.
“They can partner up with a farmer who wants to nourish and regenerate their land but doesn’t have time
“They can run their business alongside it.”
That a change is possible is perhaps the biggest takeaway.
“You don’t need your own land, within a few years of learning and doing it on rental land, you’d have the money to buy your own,” she said.
“No one tells you that.
“We can have more of an impact with sustainability, showing children they can run their own agricultural enterprise.”
The couple’s daughters are part of the program and run a farm stand as a micro business.
“Everyone wants food security. Young people can learn how to grow food and use the knowledge and experience to run their own agricultural businesses,” she said.
“We took some ducklings to a primary school last week and the Year Six students were so excited.
“We’ve offered the school an incubator with eggs as a gift so they can learn more about taking care of animals.
“We are hoping the program will teach children what it is like to work within your family or in the community, and build something that is healthy, takes care of animals and the land.”
