From when she was a youngster helping her grandfather with his Limousin stud during school holidays to establishing her own Windon Park Belted Galloways stud at sixteen, it was obvious Rachel Alexander was heading for a significant future in farming.
Now at nineteen, Rachel is making her mark on the rural landscape having just won the Women in Business and Regional Development 2015 Influential Women in Business Awards Young Business Woman of the Year Award.
Thrilled with the award, Rachel said she believed the future of Australian farming was a positive one.
“I also believe that with the limited amount of interest in the industry it is important to try and get more people my age interested, whether it be on the farm or part of an agribusiness,” Ms Alexander said. “I'm currently studying at south west TAFE, doing at Diploma of Agronomy and I'm also studying rural science at UNE via online learning. I work full time at a dairy farm so on-campus learning is not an option as I do not want to stop working just to study.”
The Alexander family run Gorae Organics 25km north east of Portland in the Cobbobbonee forest in south west Victoria producing organic fruit and juice from 750 heritage and modern variety apple trees. Rachel bought her first belted Galloway x Jersey calves when she was twelve having a strong belief that organic beef had a positive future.
“I breed black Belties choosing them for their eye appeal and uniqueness but also for their small size and quiet temperament.”
Roughly half the herd is pure belted Galloway, the rest are crossbreds Hereford/Beltie cross and Angus/Belted Galloway that consistently give solid, well muscled calves. The stud has peaked at 40 head but currently numbers have been brought back to roughly 25 to ensure Rachel can manage the herd and keep the feed up to them.
“Currently I supply seasonally to a fine food store in Birregurra and a cafe in Portland,” she said.
“I am now also supplying a butcher in Heywood but most of the sales until the last few months have been private sales.”
