We’re SO excited to announce the Rabo Community Fund has once again partnered with ‘George the Farmer’ on our mission to help educate children about where their food and fibre comes from in both a fun and educational way during this year’s National Book Week - August 19-26.
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.
Their client-identified initiatives are centred around five key themes, one of them being the urban/rural divide. Rabo's aim is to increase awareness of food and fibre production amongst the urban audience. We are very excited to be working together with Rabobank again in awarding 50 early learning centres, kindergartens or primary schools a George the Farmer book set for their school libraries.
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.
“Rabobank partnered with George the Farmer last year to celebrate National Book Week for the first time, and we were overwhelmed with applications from schools across the country,” Ms Loyson said. “It was exciting to see that level of interest from children and their teachers and librarians in learning about agriculture.”
She said the George the Farmer book sets would contribute to increasing awareness of food and fibre production at schools, “potentially even sparking some children’s interest to pursue a career in agriculture.”
Ms Loyson said the book week initiative is part of an ongoing partnership between the Rabo Community Fund and George the Farmer.
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 story began in 2012 when founder, Simone Kain was trawling the internet looking for farming books and apps for her farm-obsessed son, George.
Simone 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.
Simone said the regionally-based South Australian George the Farmer team produce fun 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 13 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, policymakers and farmers.”
“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.
Applications for the book sets are open from Wednesday, 2 August 2023 and close on Wednesday, 16 August 2023.
Applications can be made at the following link - George the Farmer book set
Terms and conditions are available via the application link.
For more information on our Rabo Community Fund and initiatives visit: https://www.rabobank.com.au/about-rabobank/rabo-community-fund/