Members of our Quality Assurance and Enhancement team recently attended the 2025 Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers’ Association (HATA) Conference, held in Methven, Canterbury.

The conference was hosted by HATA and Sow the Seed, with support from Mt Hutt College, Geraldine High School, and Mountainview High School. Around 60 agricultural and horticultural teachers from across the country attended to connect, share resources, and hear about the latest industry developments.

Over the five days, they participated in a range of activities:

• Industry and teacher-led workshops covering topics such as classroom innovation, irrigation systems, and the new NZQA achievement standards.
• Field trips to Barkers Foods, Woolworks, Marr Farms, South Pacific Seeds, and other key agricultural and horticultural businesses.
• Guest speaker sessions featuring Hamish Marr (Special Agricultural Trade Envoy), Rebecca Whillians (ALIL Irrigation Scheme), Andrew McKay (PotatoesNZ), and James Allen (AI in agriculture).

Muka Tangata contributed by delivering a workshop on unit standards, consent to assess, moderation, and best practice assessment. We also supported moderation exercises during the practical activities workshop at Geraldine High School.

The conference provided valuable insight into the current needs of agricultural and horticultural educators, particularly around curriculum changes, moderation support, and resource development.