RICKY Ferris embodies this year’s Dandenong Show theme, Farming Families.
The Dandenong Agricultural and Pastoral Society president’s connection with the event dates back 60 years.
His grandfather Graham Allan, who passed away eight years ago, joined the committee when he bought a cattle stud in Keysborough.
Graham’s wife Phyl was a steward in the exhibition pavilion for many years and helped wherever else she could.
Their daughter Lynne Ferris and her husband Jim – Ricky’s parents – are on the committee.
“It’s very much a family affair,” Lynne said.
“My dad was so passionate about whatever he did. Poor Jim was very quickly given a job!
“Dad brought Ricky into the fold. Everywhere my dad went, Ricky went.
“From a very young age, Ricky was at every working bee.
“He used to bring the chooks up. He entered the art and craft exhibits.
“He was the gumboot throw champion.”
Lynne said Ricky was still a child when other show committee members saw his potential.
“Quite a few of the older chaps took him under his wing,” she said.
“They elected him to the committee in 2001. He was 14.
“He’s been on the committee 13 years doing his apprenticeship.
“He’s been chairman of the sale ring. He’s been chairman of the cattle as well, I think.
“He was one of the instigators of the youth committee and getting young people involved in the show.
“That resulted in us having about eight young people that are actually now members of our committee.”
This year he was named committee president.
“I’m very proud of Ricky and the way he’s maturing and taking on the role,” Lynne said.
“It’s a big role. We have a big committee and he’s quite young to be holding such a responsible position, I think.
“He’s well-regarded.
“He’s done the hard yards, he’s learnt how to be a committee man and he’s learnt most sections of the show.
“He understands how the whole show runs.”
And the family connection to the show doesn’t end there. Ricky married cattle chairman Melissa in April last year.
“Melissa’s family has run Jersey cattle forever, since the 1800s, and they’ve always been exhibitors here as well,” Lynne said.
“As kids they were always around the cattle together.
“A couple of years ago Ricky got serious and they started going out together.”
The couple is expecting a baby in April.
“It will be a show baby,” Lynne said.
Ricky agreed.
“That’s another generation into the show world,” he said.
“One of our close friends also had a baby. He’s a year and a half old, he comes to meetings.
“Everyone who babysits him is on the committee as well.
“Once he starts walking around I bet he’ll be just as involved as any of us.
“It just becomes a way of life.
“We’re not really a team – we’re more like a family.”
Ricky grew up in Keysborough, where the family farm switched from dairy to beef when he was about six years old.
“I helped on the farm when I could until I was 16 years old, then as my grandfather became ill I managed the farm, doing carpentry, fencing, plumbing, feeding out,” he said.
The family sold the farm about seven years ago.
“We couldn’t live off the farm’s income,” he said.
“We were on there 100 years before we had to sell it. Now I think it’s industrial.
“It’s always a bit sad to drive through Keysborough.”
He and Melissa now live in Drouin. The qualified cabinet maker worked as an electrician and is now installing acrylic tennis and basketball courts while chasing farm work.
“I want to work in beef – that’s what I enjoy a bit more,” he said.
“I don’t mind dairy work.
“In Drouin it’s very hard to find beef work, because farms are a lot smaller there.
“The way the market is at the moment, cows don’t make what they should be making.
“They can’t afford to pay staff to run the farm so they just do it themselves.”
Unsurprisingly, the animals are his favourite part of the Dandenong Show.
“They best thing I love is the little kids’ faces lighting up when they see something they’ve never seen before,” he said.
“It’s just magical.
“That’s why we put on the show, to show people our way of life.
“People in Dandenong might not necessarily be able to see them on a day to day basis.
“It’s amazing to see little kids coming up to see a cow.
“Bringing that experience to them, it gives you a reason to do this.
“All we can do is urge families to bring their kids along.
“Without the patrons we can’t put on a show.
“We need money through the gate to put it on the next year.”
The show has held down its gate fees this year despite rising costs.
“We’re probably going to have a bit of a loss this year,” he said.
And it’s continuing to offer free activities like guessing the weight of a cow, a gumboot throw, and demonstrations.
Ricky said it was a cheaper option than the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show.
“We’re a bit smaller but there are the same things,” he said.
“It’s a bit more family-oriented, too. It’s a family show.
“You can bring your family along and have a day out without breaking the bank too much.”
