THE Australian Suffolk Association (ASA) has again been at the forefront of promoting the livestock industry to the next generation, by donating sheep to the Esperance Senior High School's Farm Training Centre.
Not only have members donated high quality sheep, but they have also committed to ongoing aid by passing on their knowledge directly to students and staff at the school.
ASA president Ross Lane said the commitment was ultimately a two-way street, with the reciprocal relationship having benefits across the board.
"The members are very proud of what they have been able to achieve with this partnership," Mr Lane said.
"Not only does it provide a new generation with the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the Suffolk breed, but it also allows the progression of the breed into the future, but more importantly a better understanding of the sheep industry."
Previously the association had done a similar gesture with the donation of sheep and assistance to the WA College of Agriculture Narrogin and its eventual establishment of the Collegian Suffolk stud.
Mr Lane said this had been hugely successful and had led to two former students registering their own Suffolk studs.
The relationship between ASA and the Esperance Farm Training Centre commenced just over a year ago with the donation of a dozen ewes, and the promise of more to follow.
Since then a total of seven WA Suffolk studs have donated a total of 26 ewes and one ram to form the basis of the Escholar Suffolk stud, Esperance.
Lynburn, Pamellen, Annaghdowns, North Stirling Downs, Karinya, Blackbutt and Glencraig studs all donated ewes, with Glencraig also donating the ram.
Up until the establishment of the Suffolk stud the school had run a Border Leicester stud since 1993.
Agricultural technical officer (sheep and cattle) Emily McDonald, said the decision to move away from the Border Leicester into Suffolks was to boost the efficiency of the program.
"We purchase Merino ewes each year to be mated to a prime lamb sire with the aim of getting a prime lamb.
"As we didn't have the space to be able to cross the Border Leicester to get an F1 ewe, we needed a breed with a higher growth rate when crossed with a Merino," she said.
The Suffolks have provided the school with the ideal opportunity to fulfil this requirement while also delivering an invaluable source for the education of the students involved.
Ms McDonald has been with the training centre for two and a half years and her role encompasses the management of the sheep breeding program.
"I run the day to day programs that are required for sheep and cattle, including the teaching of practical units of Cert II in Agriculture," she said.
"I prepare animals for the shows and take the students away on the camps.
"I manage all the stud records and LambPlan for our stud."
The stud has just started using KoolCollect and KoolPerform and the integration of LambPlan was introduced with the direction and assistance of Suffolk association members.
"The Suffolk association have been so supportive of the centre," Ms McDonald said.
"They are providing educational lessons for the students, donating the ewes and ram, helping us set up LambPlan and allowing our students to help them at shows."
There is a definite symbiotic rapport between the association and the training centre making the whole process very worthwhile for both sides.
All students at the centre are involved in the stud, as part of their education and they learn about the day-to-day running of sheep, breeding choices (natural or AI), breeding selection, preparation and showing of sheep as part of their course.
Throughout the year the sheep are fed via pasture, grain, hay and crop grazing, depending on the time of year and the status of the ewes.
Since the initial donation of animals the training centre has also purchased a further three ewes for inclusion in their breeding program.
To date they already have a total of 24 lambs on the ground this season, with a further four ewes still to lamb as of last week. The future for the Escholar Suffolk stud is expansion, with the aim to purchase some more rams in the coming years.
"We will be looking at purchasing rams in the coming years," Ms McDonald said. "I would like to build our numbers up to 50 ewes.
"Once the stud is established we will be investing in an AI program, however, our first aim is to restock our flock rams to be all Suffolk."
Ms McDonald said once they had achieved their ram breeding goals they would then continue to breed rams for their own flock and also some sale rams.
The students will also be taking part in showing at Wagin, Northam, Perth and Esperance as part of their education.
The Suffolk Association and Esperance Farm Training Centre's partnership has proven to be a mutually beneficial one, with the future education of the students and the outlook for the Suffolk breed looking bright for the years to come.
