WHEN it comes to herding up hearty hugs, it turns out Highland cows are hard to beat<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Hayes, 22, is also planning to offer High Tea with the Highlands experiences from next year.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“I had heaps of phone calls and enquiries through the website, and people messaging me,” she said.<\/p>\n
“There definitely is a market there with people who want to hang out with animals.”<\/p>\n
Hayes already runs Hayes Girl Highlands, a breeding operation selling Highland calves as pets to buyers across central and southwest Victoria.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It can also command more handsome returns than Angus, the breed her dad was previously running on the family’s scenic 40-hectare property.<\/p>\n
“They are a really docile and sweet-natured breed,” she said.<\/p>\n
“With any cattle, you get out of them what you put in and generally my cattle have a beautiful temperament.”<\/p>\n
She said agribusiness operators are increasingly looking for innovative ways to diversify in response to today’s tough environmental and economic climates.<\/p>\n
“We’re on top of the hill and have a beautiful outlook,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I thought, why not mix the two?”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“Eddie the bull helped kick things off and now we’ve got some of his heifers coming through,” she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n