Finley school knows its ag

Finley High School has its own Shorthorn and Poll Dorset studs, and its classrooms and livestock shed are littered with blue ribbons.

Among them is a trophy for reserve senior champion Shorthorn at the Melbourne Show and grand champion at the Bendigo National Beef Show.

The school is fortunate to have access to about five hectares of land adjoining the school property, although the two agricultural teachers, Robin O’Leary and Gary Webb, shrink from any mention of fortune or luck.

The school’s success has been hard won, with diligent students, supportive parents, an impressive amount of community support and a school ethos which sees almost a third of all students involved in the agricultural program at some stage of their schooling.

When the school’s agricultural plot was suffering through wet winters and needed a hard standing area, the school approached the Apex Club to see if they could get a better surface. They ended up with a huge shed, now fitted out with yards, wired and plumbed.

Nearby is a pile of hay, much of it donated, and paddocks frequently hold donated cattle or sheep, or valuable stud stock on loan.

The school has about 35 cows in its Shorthorn stud, built on genetics is has developed, initially with donated stock.

Developing a miniature farm at the school may be well and good, but what is the goal here?

“We want the kids to go out into the world as confident kids with transferrable skills they can use in their life, and to know where their food comes from — and if any critical comments come up about farming, they will have enough knowledge to be able to challenge that and tell the story about agriculture,” agriculture teacher Robyn O’Leary says of the program.

Fellow teacher Gary Webb, adds: “We want to be able to offer kids things that engage them and inspire them.

“It’s giving them something they can enjoy. Being able to do something they are passionate about, it gives them a great reason to turn up and enjoy school.”

It’s also more than just feeding and petting the animals.

Students research history, learn about the safe operation of farm machinery, environmental issues, sustainable practices, biosecurity and the key elements of production across a range of commodities.

The school has a sophisticated connection with the surrounding rural community. Some donors have children who were past students, others simply want to support the program. Some farmers offer land for hay production, others bale up the fodder and others have loaned valuable stock. Grateful parents have also responded with offers of help, donating goods to help the program or even giving the teachers cakes or a leg of lamb.

“They could see the growth in their kids; the passion, the interest,” Ms O’Leary recalls.

Ms O’Leary joined the school in 1987 and has been teaching agriculture since then. The school program moved into showing in the early 1990s.

Finley High School has an enrolment of just over 300 and the town has a population of 2500.

The school is not classified as an agricultural high school in the NSW education system like Hurlstone, Yanco and Farrer, but is surrounded by broadacre, livestock and dairy farming.