Defying the Drift is a Rotary initiative that aims to arrest the number of young country people moving to metropolitan areas by informing them about career options in agriculture and agribusiness in rural areas.

The program involved 30 people between ages 15 and 17 completing a three-day residency at Longerenong College this week and visiting five farms and rural businesses.

These included Australian Wildflowers at Laharum, Green Eggs at Great Western, and Mount Zero Olives.

Defying the Drift committee chairman Dale McIntyre, who is originally from the Wimmera, said the program opened students’ minds to career opportunities in agriculture while building their communication and networking skills.

“Our former chairman had a vision because so many of our young people, during the floods and then the drought, were exiting rural communities and heading for Melbourne,” he said.

“He saw the need to show people in the 15 to 17-year age bracket the opportunities there are in country Victoria and Australia.

“It’s about getting them out of their comfort zone and showing them a selection of what’s available.”

The program normally runs at Marcus Oldham College in Geelong, but renovations there meant the program moved to Longerenong this year.

Defying the Drift finished on Wednesday with students making presentations to the program committee and their parents about what they had learned, and the three things they would do after the program.

These included further research into the agriculture industry; researching courses; work experience; speaking to careers advisors; and applying for scholarships.

Program co-ordinator Fiona Chambers said the program aimed to challenge students through exercises and activities.

“On the second day, the major part is the tours. And then we get the students talking about what they’ve learned and what the businesses had in common, and also what was different about them,” she said.

“It’s a really big shift for them. It starts to give them a world view they haven’t had before.

“With the way things have changed in farming, you’ve got fewer and fewer people on farms, and the farms are bigger. But with agriculture growing, the big corporate businesses are crying out for well-qualified people.

“Where are they going to come from? They’re likely to come from people who haven’t grown up on a farm but who have done agricultural or agribusiness training. 

“Our message is that you don’t have to own a farm to find a valuable and viable career path in agriculture or agribusiness.”

Participant Emily Hicks of Nintingbool, south-west of Ballarat, said she found out about the program through her school, and her mum encouraged her to apply.

“I read it and thought, ‘This is something I would be interested in’,” she said.

“I didn’t really know much about the flower side of the industry. I’m definitely interested in the sheep side. To see how different sheep farmers operated was pretty cool.”

Fellow participant Shakaya Dawkins of Smythesdale said the program had encouraged her to dream big.