Whangārei A&P Society’s Farm Intern Programme students have been learning how to handle cattle safely without stepping foot on a farm thanks to a new Virtual Reality (VR) module developed by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) in partnership with the Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE).
The six-minute VR module simulates real-life cattle handling scenarios, helping learners understand best practices for working safely with livestock. It includes teaching and operational tips, making it easy to integrate into existing training programmes.
Whangārei A&P Society’s Farm Intern Programme, which is proudly sponsored by B+LNZ, was among the first to test the tool.
Chris Mason, CEO of Whangārei A&P Society says the interns found the experience valuable.
“The B+LNZ cattle handling module was a fantastic addition to our training. We also gave a group of Whangārei Girls’ High School students the chance to try it, and they thought it was awesome.
“It reinforces safe animal handling in a really engaging way. The biggest eye-opener for many students, (and even some adults), was seeing the world from a cow’s perspective i.e. the complete absence of green!”
Supporting the next generation of farmers
This VR module is part of B+LNZ’s broader People and Capability workstream, which focuses on growing, training, and retaining talent in the sheep and beef sector.
Through partnerships and innovative tools like VR, B+LNZ aims to build a thriving farming community by supporting learners from day one through to their third year and beyond.
In addition to the VR module, B+LNZ offers a range of teaching resources designed to create engaging and effective learning experiences. Explore more tools and content on the B+LNZ website.
Learn more about B+LNZ’s People and Capability work.