On my desk : Kylie Stretton

Keeping the boys in line 🙂

My working day tends to be varied ! Some days I’m in a meeting in a capital city, some days I’m visiting school children talking about being a beef farmer. Other days I’m at my desk doing the book work for our business or promoting Rural Australia. And other days I’m out in the paddock doing farm work.

When I am doing work with the cattle I can’t get by without my dogs: Australian Kelpie Farmer, and Border Collie, Ned. They are extremely clever and can anticipate the cattle’s movement before I can and put themselves in the right place to stop the mob running away. Farmer and Ned can move through the long grass and timber to catch runaways much quicker and more safely than I can on a motorbike. They mean that I can move small herds of cattle by myself with no drama, I just ride where I need to go and they bring the cattle along behind me.

Farmer and Ned exude total love, excitement and loyalty, keeping me grounded when things get hectic.

Kylie Stretton is creator of Ask an Aussie Farmer network, a community where consumers get answers about their food from those that produce it. Kylie was a winner in the Volunteer category at the 2014 Queensland Rural, Regional and Remote Women’s Network Strong Women Leadership Awards and a 2015 Finalist in Queensland Rural Woman of the Year. Follow her @AAAFarmer and @KylieStretton, and on Facebook.