Agriculture & horticulture

General websites

Look through these websites to find information about a range of topics related to horticulture and agriculture.

Science (Gale in Context)

Science (Gale in Context) is one of the EPIC resources, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

• Use the search bar to enter the search words 'agriculture'.

• The dropdown menu brings up related topics such as Agricultural Science or Sustainable Agriculture.

• You can narrow down your results using the links underneath the main introduction, for example you could choose to just look at news, images, videos, journals or magazines.

• You can also use the bar that says Search within results to narrow down your search to something more specific.

• For example, search 'horticulture' here and you will find the page on Horticulture.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Britannica School

This is another one of the EPIC databases so you will need a password from your school librarian or AnyQuestions librarian to get started.

• Once you have logged in, choose Secondary. You can always change your level later if you need to.

• Next, enter the keywords 'agriculture' or 'horticulture'.

• To get more specific results add more than one keyword. For example, search

  agricultural management to find farm management.

Tips: Search words, or keywords, are the most important words in our question. Reading a few different definitions will help your understanding of the topic and will give you ideas for keywords.

Environmental Studies (Gale In Context)

This is also an EPIC database so you will need a password from your school librarian or AnyQuestions librarian first. This database will be useful for looking at things from an environmental or sustainability perspective.

• Choose Browse issues from near the top of the page.

• Then choose a relevant topic, such as Agricultural Industry or Sustainable Agriculture.

This database also has a feature called Topic Finder, which helps you explore all the topics covered on this site. To use it:

• choose a topic, eg Agriculture Industry

• select Topic Finder from the toolbar at the top of the page, and

• choose which topic you would like to learn more about.

New Zealand sites

Use these websites to find information about agriculture and horticulture in Aotearoa New Zealand and their part in the country's economy.

Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about New Zealand Aotearoa. If we look down to the bottom of the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

• From the main page, find the page New Zealand in brief.

• Next, choose Economy.

• Then have a look at the page Agricultural production.

To find out about Māori and agriculture:

• go to the home page and choose the story Settled Landscapes

• choose Claiming the land, then

• select Ahuwhenua – Māori land and agriculture.

To find all the areas of the website that have information about agriculture:

• use the search words 'agriculture' in the search box at the top of the page, then

• explore Agricultural processing industries, Government and agriculture or any other page.

Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

Science Learning Hub

This site has a selection of science articles, activities and videos on New Zealand related science topics, including agriculture and horticulture.

• Look along the top of the page and choose Topics.

• Next, choose the topics Agriculture and Horticulture.

• Use the tabs at the top of the page to choose a level eg Secondary.

• Then select from Articles, Videos, or Interactives.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are. If you look at the bottom of the page you will see that this website is supported by the New Zealand Government, and run by the University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato.

Ministry for Primary Industries

The Ministry for Primary Industries website has information on food production measures, import, export, and the role of agriculture in New Zealand's economy.

• From the top of the page select For Businesses | Mā Ngā Pakihi then look for Agriculture.

• Find links to information on topics like plant products and Organic product requirements in NZ.

• Or, use the search feature to enter the keywords 'agriculture'.

• Then you can read through what information the New Zealand Government has about different types of agriculture in New Zealand, eg dairy farming or farm management, the environment and land use.

Books

Visit your school or local library for books about agriculture and horticulture. Here are some titles to help you get started:

• Agriculture: a very short introduction by Paul Brassley and R J Soffe

• Agriculture and horticulture in New Zealand by Kevin J Stafford

• Ahuwhenua : celebrating 90 years of Māori farming by Danny Keenan

• 1,000 years of gardening in New Zealand by H M Leach and Nancy Tichborne

• Country calendar: stories from our rural heartland by Matt Philp.