THE TINY SCHOOL WITH A BIG IDEA!

A rural NSW school is wagging class to work on the farm

- Maisy Rae

Listening intently to the rumble of the tractor rolling along the gravel path, the students at Hermidale Public School put down their books and race down to the paddock.

“My favourite thing is seeing their faces light up in excitement as they run out to meet the tractor,” teacher Rebekah Coddington, 28, tells Woman’s Day.

Last year, the group of 10 students at the country NSW school 230km west of Dubbo harvested an incredible 85 hectares of wheat – enough to make 290,000 loaves of bread.

It’s also netted the young farmers a tidy pro t, with their 170 tonnes of wheat set to sell for around $50,000, despite recent mild temperatures meaning a later harvest than usual.

For sisters Ruby and Matilda Mudford, 12 and 10, it’s been a fantastic way for them to learn more about their family’s farming background.