Posted by on
22/08/2022
We’re excited to announce the Rabo Community Fund has partnered with ‘George the Farmer’ on ‘his’ mission to help educate children about where their food and fibre comes from in both a fun and educational way.
As a dedicated food and agribusiness bank, Rabobank is committed to contributing to the vibrancy and resilience of rural Australia. The Rabo Community Fund supports local grassroots initiatives, identified by Rabobank clients in the heart of their communities.
Our client’s identified initiatives are centred around five key themes, one of them being the urban/rural divide. Our aim is to increase awareness of food and fibre production amongst the urban audience. We are very excited to be working together and sharing George’s books with your school kids.
Rabobank and George the Farmer – a fictional character featured in a series of educational resources – will be gifting 50 primary schools across Australia a George the Farmer book set for their school libraries during National Book Week – August 20 – 26.
Rabobank client council manager, Yvette Loyson said George the Farmer’s down-to-earth manner and grassroots charm resonates “terrifically” with young children in rural locations while inspiring city-based children to have a better understanding and connection to agriculture.
Yvette said George the Farmer’s mission aligns well with the Rabo Community Fund’s key theme of creating urban/rural connections. As a cooperative, Rabobank has a rich history of community engagement, and always looks to make an impact across the communities in which clients live. Rabobank clients, many of whom benefit from Rabobank’s products and services, lead the Rabo Community Fund’s priorities.
With the aim of tangibly and meaningfully contributing to the vibrancy and resilience of rural Australia, the Rabo Community Fund supports local initiatives, identified by our clients at the heart of their communities,” she said.
Both Rabobank and the Rabo Community Fund have a deep connection to farming life, with many of Rabobank’s products created with and designed for farmers, helping them from expanding their operations, improving property, or growing the next crop. As a bank with food at its heart, Rabobank wishes to help savings grow as well as help Aussie farmers. Part of that is education about how food is brought to our tables
“The George the Farmer book sets will contribute to increasing awareness of food and fibre production at schools, potentially even sparking some children’s interest to pursue a career in agriculture.”
The George the Farmer story began in 2012 when founder, Simone Kain was trawling the internet looking for farming books and apps for her farm-obsessed son, George.
Ms Kain said the toddler was desperate to be out with his dad on the farm and she wanted to find something to entertain and inspire him while he was indoors.
“I quickly discovered there wasn't a human farming character globally who was telling sequential stories about life on the land for children, let alone a modern Aussie farmer telling real, relatable yarns,” she said
“In 2014, George the Farmer was officially born, with the story quickly spilling outside storybooks and into new mediums.
More than 100,000 Aussie kids from the big smoke and the bush have connected to the earth, food and farm through the adventures of George the Farmer, his agronomist wife, Dr Ruby and their twin children, Lucy and Jack.”
Ms Kain said the regionally-based South Australian George the Farmer team produce “fabulous” picture storybooks, music, paddock-to-plate videos available to watch on YouTube and ABCTV, nationally-touring performances and free curriculum-aligned educator resources that educate and inspire kids to learn about where food comes from – along with how important agriculture is to our everyday lives.
“There are currently 12 George the Farmer books and counting, exploring a range of farming practices – from shearing, wheat and beef cattle to honey enterprises and robotic dairy operations. In each story, George the Farmer, Dr Ruby, Jack and Lucy pitch in to come up with solutions to challenges which mirror daily farming life – with plenty of fun moments as well,” she said.
“The myriad of George the Farmer resources are helping to educate and inspire the next generation – the future leaders, big thinkers, innovators, makers, fixers, creatives, teachers, policy makers and farmers.”
Ms Kain said the Rabobank partnership being launched to coincide with National Book Week was a perfect fit for George the Farmer.
“We receive many photos every year of excited kids dressing up as George and Ruby Farmer at their school Book Week parades. The Rabobank partnership champions agricultural literacy and will not only enable the education of many more kids, but inspire them to consider careers in agriculture,” she said.