It will be a busy week ahead in the lead up to the Hay Merino Sheep Show on Saturday 16 June 2018 for the fourth intake of students enrolled in the Hay Inc Rural Education Program.
The unique hands on training program will see the students back for their third and final training week, developing their skills in fence construction and maintenance, sheep and lamb procedures, cattle handling, prime lamb assessment and sheep classing. They will then take part in the junior sheep judging competition at the Hay Merino Sheep Show. The trainers include volunteers who have had many years working in the industry and on their own farms, along with Tocal Agricultural College assessors.
Hay Inc Chairman and volunteer trainer Chris Bowman said “it is an exciting time for these young people to be entering the agricultural industry, especially with the sheep and wool industry booming.”
“It is also great to see our past Hay Inc participants still contributing to the industry,” Mr Bowman said.
“Lachlan Watkins who took part in the Hay Inc program in 2017 and won the Don McNeill Memorial Junior Judging competition in 2017 will be the associate judge at the Hay Merino Sheep Show this year.”
The Hay Inc participants will be presented their graduation certificates by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) CEO Stuart McCullough at the Hay Merino Sheep Show. The Mathew Vick Memorial Scholarship will also be awarded to a Hay Inc Participant at the event.
Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is a key partner of the Hay Inc Rural Education Program and it forms a key plank in a diverse and in depth suite of educational opportunities offered by AWI alongside the likes of the National Merino Challenge, Learn About Wool kits, Wool Appreciation courses, Wool4School design competition and Naturally Inspiring seminar series.