As seen on the ABC and ABC iView
Created in regional South Australia
About Us
George the Farmer is an award-winning brand which educates children about farming practices and innovative careers in agriculture while also teaching how food and fibre is produced through the creation and national distribution of fun picture storybooks, music, free paddock-to-plate videos, apps, nationally touring performance and free curriculum-aligned educators resources.
Established in regional South Australia, George the Farmer is a social enterprise, reinvesting profits from the sale of each book into creating and providing free supplementary agriculturally-focussed teaching resources with a focus on STEAM subjects. Over 3000 resources have been downloaded in the past 6 months alone, contributing to the agricultural education of over 40,000 children nationally.
The creators have been driven by their desire to provide children with the same connection that they were afforded from living on farms throughout their childhood while also contributing to the securing of our global food supply. They strive to make a meaningful difference to the people involved in primary industries and regional and rural communities.
The George story began when Simone was searching for some farming books and apps for her farm-obsessed son, George. Always wanting to be with Dad out on the farm, Simone wanted to find something to entertain and inspire George while he was indoors. She quickly discovered that there wasn't a human farming character worldwide who was telling sequential stories about life on the land for children.
The George the Farmer brand has received top reviews has been featured on ABC Landline, The Project (Top 10 gifts for Christmas) and Channel 9’s Kids’ WB while also receiving national and international media coverage on radio, podcast and in print. George the Farmer can also be found on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
There are currently six entertaining and educational picture books available on Wheat, Shearing, Robotic Dairies, Bees and counting; a CD of fun, educational farm songs; two free Australian school curriculum-aligned teacher’s guides which focus on wheat/wool and pulses; a George and Ruby Farmer cuddle doll; an Australian made out of Australian cotton t-shirt and two interactive story apps. All products are available on this website plus through 50 stockists nationally.
A stage show has been touring nationally including 70 performances at the Sydney Royal Easter Show during the past two years, while 7 minute paddock to plate video episodes of George out and about on the farm are available to view via YouTube, the ABC and ABC iView.
George’s down-to-earth manner and grassroots charm has universal appeal, and while he is resonating extremely well with young children in rural locations, he is also inspiring city-based children to have a better understanding and connection to agriculture, which is imperative for an equitable and sustainable food supply chain in the future.
George’s talented agronomist wife, Dr Ruby, is a true partner who is always there to lend a helping hand or offer some expert advice. The couple’s twins, Lucy and Jack, also love to pitch in, and the importance and power of teamwork shines through every time in these Australian farming adventures.
The challenges faced by the Farmer family in each story mirror daily farming life - with plenty of fun moments as well. From not realising that the seeder has run out of seed to struggling to get the sheep undercover before it begins raining cats and dogs - the quintessentially Australian storylines will delight and amuse the under eight age group and adults alike.
The challenges faced by the Farmer family in each story mirror daily farming life - with plenty of fun moments as well. From not realising that the seeder has run out of seed to struggling to get the sheep undercover before it begins raining cats and dogs - the quintessentially Australian storylines will delight and amuse the under eight age group and adults alike.
The creators, Simone Kain and Ben Hood, have won numerous awards for George including the ‘2017 Agrifutures Rural Women’s Award National Runner-up’, ‘Google Australia Regional Online Hero top 10’, ‘Brand South Australia Flinders University Education Award’, ‘NAB Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards Rural Entrepreneur of the Year’, ‘Women in Technology Innovation Award’ and more.
The George the Farmer app regularly features in the iTunes top 10 educational apps for Australia and New Zealand in the Technologies section and the original music is currently being played on top national kids radio stations Funky Kids Radio and Little Rockers Radio.
George the Farmer is a fun brand which is making agriculture cool.
