The winning foursome of the Cows Create Careers race at this year's International Dairy Week didn’t hold back in ‘creaming’ the field of seven other schools. (From left) Keegan Rice, Ruby Hulett, Amber McNally and Seb Lemma from Euroa Secondary College.
Mushrooms seem a far cry from running the length of a judging arena in an oversized cow costume, but it is all part of the fun of International Dairy Week and the diversity of Euroa Secondary College’s vocational education in agriculture.
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Ruby Hulett somehow juxtaposed the two as she took to the Cows Create Careers race in front of 200 people.
The budding mycologist (pun there for the initiated) fits that mold (another one) and wanted to talk nothing else but fungi.
There’s nothing like variety.
Ruby joined her Euroa teammates Keegan Rice, Amber McNally and Seb Lemma to exhibit not only their practical skills in cow rearing, but to face off dignity by running the length of the IDW arena dressed in costumes more fattening than flattering in front of a crowd more praying than baying.
Racing against seven other schools, the Euroa team first needed to make a cow from polystyrene and their imagination, then construct a mini wheelbarrow with Ikea-styled élan, mix a precise concentration of calf formula milk, before measuring out an accurate square cattle yard with posts and flags and donning their costumes.
Then it was just a dash to the finishing line.
Amber did not quite shine at the handles of the ’barrow and took several tumbles, flinging the group’s cow into limb-snapping hilarity while the other three students ran holding hands.
Despite all of this, the team did not disappoint.
They won the event by about 300 lengths, catching their breath to talk to Country News before any other team had set off on the final leg.
The Euroa Secondary College team in full flight, leaving the opposition on their knees behind them.
Year 11 Amber said despite the tumbles and turns, lack of preparation was not an obstacle.
“We all work as a team,” Amber said
“It’s the fastest way to get it done.”
Agriculture teacher Lachie Cooke said the team had exceeded his expectations.
“I didn’t think they’d be much of a chance,” Mr Cooke said.
“But we have a pretty tightly knit crew in our class, and today they have showcased their teamwork skills.”
Amber said she was currently studying mechanical agriculture as well as for her general Certificate II.
“That will lead me to work anywhere on farms,” she said.
“Cert II has a bit of everything.”
Seb is in Year 8 and said this was his second IDW.
He said he aspired to start farming beef, dairy and cropping by capitalising on his experience of growing up on a dairy farm, where his family milk 500 Black and White Holsteins.
Keegan is in Year 12 and wants to join the army, and Ruby was effuse in her love of fungi.
Mr Cooke said the college’s agriculture students first study at Certificate II level in the vocation as a starting point.
“Then we try to push them towards a Cert’ III in a school-based apprenticeship or further tertiary education,” Mr Cooke said.
“Some go into work, which is of course fine, because they go in skilled.
“It’s all about experience and exposure, and from our school’s perspective, we want to expose them to as many fields in agriculture as possible.”
As for the school’s mycology aspirant, Mr Cooke embraced the course’s ability to cater to specific needs.
“Mycologist? We don’t get too many,” he said.
“And it probably is more specific than we realise because it is not common, but we cater for what the students want to learn about.
“A part of (vocational education) is also working out what are you interested in?
“Then getting on the phone to find someone, in this case, someone who harvests mushrooms and say ‘what do your skills entail?’ and then let a student like Ruby go out and learn about it.
“Hopefully she’d like to go to university to learn more as well.
“Giving her the background skills in ag would be the start of that avenue.”
Ruby said the graceful parasol (Macrolepiota clelandii) is her favourite mushroom, and despite the uncertainty of its edibility, claims to have lunched on one.
“I recovered.”
Once, twice, three times the tumble as the group's hand-crafted cow spills from the newly assembled wheelbarrow.
