![LOOKING AHEAD: Ashmore White Suffolk stud's Troy and Nette Fischer, Wasleys, and their daughters Isabelle, 7, and Indigo, 5, on a burnt-out shell of a truck on their farm. LOOKING AHEAD: Ashmore White Suffolk stud's Troy and Nette Fischer, Wasleys, and their daughters Isabelle, 7, and Indigo, 5, on a burnt-out shell of a truck on their farm.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/wBuRnviBxsXKsfGYcn3ULj/50e9315d-191d-4419-b058-97a24b10c04b.JPG/r1213_682_4512_2617_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
THE FISCHER family, of the Ashmore White Suffolk stud at Wasleys, are staying positive and looking to the future despite taking a massive hit in the recent Pinery fires.
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The fire meant some of the best White Suffolk stock in Australia was lost, with the stud one of the highest ranking on Lambplan figures, and 25 years worth of breeding along with it.
It is run jointly by Troy Fischer and his wife Nette, and Troy’s parents Brian and Rhonda.
Troy is the fourth generation on his family farm at Wasleys.
At the young age of 11 he convinced Brian to help him set up the stud.
But, all their hard work was almost totally destroyed in a single day.
“I was at home at 1pm the day of the fire and I smelt smoke,” Troy said.
“I went outside and there was a massive fire coming straight at us. I had no choice but to leave.
“Considering I was with my five-year-old daughter Indigo, I definitely did the right thing, but the fall-out is that we lost virtually all our stud flock. So, 25 years of breeding went up in smoke.”
One of the few saving graces in the disaster was that Troy and Nette’s and Brian and Rhonda’s homes were saved.
But, the fire came perilously close, with the garden at the front of Troy and Nette’s home burnt.
The focus for the Fischers is on rebuilding.
“We want our genetics to continue, it is our livelihood,” Troy said.
“Most of our 2015 ram and ewe lambs survived. We have about 500 lambs left in total.
“So, we’ll have a ram sale next year, although getting numbers for the year following will be a challenge.”
Troy and Nette are looking to the future with a positive outlook.
“We’re staying focused on the positives,” he said.
“We finished our harvest the day before the fire. All of our crop, bar a few beans, had been delivered.”
The Fischers say they are thankful for the assistance they’ve received.
“We’re agisting lambs at Bob and Idrienne Neill’s property at Farrell Flat. They run the Wheetelande stud so they have accredited country,” Nette said.
“Vin Callery Transport carted the sheep for free for us.
“We’re overwhelmed and humbled by the support we’ve received.”