On Sunday November 5, the Upper Secondary Geography classes from Year 11 through Year 13 took a trip to the mountains of Fuling, overlooking the Yangtze River. High above the clouds the students were hosted at the Zhang family organic farm.

The Zhang family kindly opened their doors to us and allowed our students to gain some experience of the processes that take place on a farm.

The students have been studying water scarcity due to human activity, agricultural and industrial processes. The farm offered wonderful exposure for the students to how the land is worked, the related industries and the water usage management. Students interviewed the farm managers and land owners about the fine details of agricultural production and its impact on environment. They also considered ideas such as diseconomies of scale, soil sustainability, water quality and quantity, and the importance of farming in communities.

Upon their return, the Year 12 students tested the water collected from the lakes at the farm. They were all pleasantly surprised at how clean the water was. Far better than tap water, and an excellent indication of the organic and sustainable practices taking place on the farm.

The support from the families of students at YCIS Chongqing is fantastic and the Zhang family has contributed immeasurably to the learning experiences of our students. As the students continue their write-up and associated research, they won’t soon forget their wonderful experiences on the farm.