Cattle and cuddles key to agritourism venture

WHEN it comes to herding up hearty hugs, it turns out Highland cows are hard to beat

With their sweet, laid-back natures, the hairy cattle breed are the perfect partners in a unique agritourism venture a young Ballarat woman is launching.

Offering people of all ages the chance to meet – and hug – a friendly Highlander while learning about them in a supervised setting, Cuddle a Cow is the brainchild of Mitchell Park cattle breeder Chelsea Hayes.

Hayes, 22, is also planning to offer High Tea with the Highlands experiences from next year.

Preparing to embark on a national study tour of smart agri-tourism businesses with her partner Darcy Fisher, the former Loreto College student plans to have fully launched both her agritourism ventures by 2027.

But responding to strong demand, she decided to bring the Cuddle a Cow concept forward for a few sessions first, starting this Friday 19 June, before setting off on the tour in coming months.

“I had heaps of phone calls and enquiries through the website, and people messaging me,” she said.

“There definitely is a market there with people who want to hang out with animals.”

Hayes already runs Hayes Girl Highlands, a breeding operation selling Highland calves as pets to buyers across central and southwest Victoria.

About seven years ago she started with a single Highland cow, a gift from her granddad, and soon discovered that alongside its rugged looks, the iconic Scottish breed is pretty cuddly as well.

It can also command more handsome returns than Angus, the breed her dad was previously running on the family’s scenic 40-hectare property.

“They are a really docile and sweet-natured breed,” she said.

“With any cattle, you get out of them what you put in and generally my cattle have a beautiful temperament.”

She said agribusiness operators are increasingly looking for innovative ways to diversify in response to today’s tough environmental and economic climates.

“We’re on top of the hill and have a beautiful outlook,” she said.

“I thought, why not mix the two?”

Hayes received earlier encouragement when she won Loreto College’s Aspiring Dreams Scholarship at the end of year 12, using it to purchase a Highland bull.

“Eddie the bull helped kick things off and now we’ve got some of his heifers coming through,” she said.

In working toward seeing her business dream become a reality, Hayes also participated in a mentorship program organised last year through Tourism Midwest Victoria in partnership with the Sparrowly Group.