Heathcote business wins industry gong

THE Barn Pet Stock and Feed has taken out the 2022 Australian Independent Rural Retailers Tuckers state award for Victoria and Tasmania.

Bill and Sharon Greenfield’s Heathcote business has gone from strength to strength since it opened four-and-a-half years ago.

It quickly outgrew its first location and moved to a larger, more spacious site on Kilmore Road at the southern end of town in early 2021.

Mr Greenfield said it was great to have their hard work acknowledged.

“AIRR Tuckers know the industry, so it was really cool that they thought we were doing a good job,” he said.

“You sit here on your own and you bust your butt doing long hours, but how do you know how you compare to everyone else?”

Ms Greenfield said the most immediate benefit had been an increase in the number of sales reps through the door.

“It means we can now offer a bit more to our customers,” she said.

The Barn currently stocks equine and cattle equipment, animal feed, domestic pet needs, fencing and garden supplies, along with a range of other items.

The Greenfields, along with ex-navy son William, moved into stock and feed as a retirement option.

“I was a technical software tester and Bill used to work in project planning,” Ms Greenfield said.

Staff member Kellie Byrne completes the human side of the staff team.

“We know about cattle and sheep, but anything to do with a horse, like rugs, that Kellie’s job,” Ms Greenfield said. “Kellie’s our horse specialist.

“I really love working at the Barn, and it’s great I can have my dog and my cats with me all the time.”

Animals are front and centre in the shop and customers are greeted by Chrissie the dog, while several cats keep the mice at bay.

The only downside to this has been an ongoing stock-theft issue.

Despite being a Labrador, a breed well known for food obsessiveness, Chrissie confines her pilfering to toys.

“She will talk kids into giving her a new ball,” Ms Greenfield said. “She’ll stand and look at the balls and then she looks the kids and then she looks at the balls again.

“With the cats, they tend to open a bag of cat food, so we leave it open on the shelf.

“If I sticky tape it closed then they’ll just go and open another bag.

“There are some brands of food we can’t stock because the cats will open them straight away, so they’re special orders and we hide them in the shipping container so the cats can’t get to them.”

Ms Greenfield said the cats were an essential part of the business team.

“We have to have them, or we have trouble with mice if we don’t,” she said.

Ms Greenfield gave the Barn’s customers a glowing reference.

“Heathcote’s a great town, you really feel part of the community,” she said.