Growing up as a city girl is no impediment to creating a career in the country say sisters Emma and Sarah Ludington.
The pair grew up on a suburban block in East Hills, Sydney, but fostered a love of animals through childhood and into school. Now they work in the dairy industry and have started their own livestock genetics business.
The sisters, six years apart but very close, chose Hurlstone High School for their secondary education because of its agricultural program and for each of their 18th birthdays were given an Ayrshire heifer by family friends Nick and Janine Eagles, Ghinni Creek, Moto via Taree.
“They’re like second family,” explained Emma. “It was all about getting us involved.”
Emma now works in embryo transfer and Sarah is starting a rural science degree at University of New England at Armidale.
“You don’t have to come off a farm to work in ag,” says Emma. “You don’t have to wake up at 5am every morning to put cups on cows. While I’m now in a science-based job I work with animals and I’m making a difference in agriculture. And I love the people and lifestyle. I live in a small country town in Victoria where people aren’t in as much of a hurry to get somewhere, not like the city.”
Both sisters are fond of Ayrshire cattle with their good temperament and ability to produce components along with volume under hard conditions.
Year 12 student Casandra Herdman, Harrington Park, comes from a suburban background but fell in love with dairy cattle through her school’s agricultural program, part of the Mount Annan Christian College syllabus.
Ms Herdman’s teacher Jenny Caynes said the popularity of the course was surprising but necessary with six farming industry related jobs currently available for every university graduate. Unfortunately there is a shortage of agriculture teachers with 20 schools in the state crying out for suitable applicants.
Ms Herdman, who aspires to work in livestock management, drives 20 minutes every Sunday to work with John Quinn at Orana Jersey stud and dairy at Menangle.
“I’ve been there a year and I milk cows, learn how to handle cattle and manage their welfare,” she says. “I’ve learned a lot.”
Mr Quinn says quite a few students come through his farm with many from the Camden and Campbelltown areas including some from Hurlstone High School.
“We make it enjoyable,” he says. “And that’s important.”