FARMERS and buyers have rallied behind the city’s disadvantaged youth by paying top dollar for three head of cattle.
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Tilbuster Station sold three cows at the Armidale Saleyards fetching a profit of more than $3000.
The station is owned by youth services organisation Pathfinders and teaches vulnerable young people agriculture skills.
When buyers heard the three Tilbuster Station cattle were being sold to teach disadvantaged young people about agriculture, the price skyrocketed.
Tilbuster Station project manager Charlie Winter said their cattle sold well above other stock, with one going for $2.45 a kilogram.
The winning bid came from Inverell company Bindaree Beef, who Mr Winter thanked for their purchase. He wants to use the money to buy either more heifers so the youths can learn about calving or steers to fatten up for sale again.
But he also wants to turn the station into “MacDonald’s Farm” with other animals like chickens on the property.
“Not only have young people in our program learnt animal husbandry skills, they have also participated in welding programs to build the cattle yards and crush needed to work with the animals,” Mr Winter said.
The cattle were also fattened up with corn grown on Tilbuster Station.
Armidale agent Victor Moar waived the normal selling fee while Peter Krantz Transport took the cattle to sale for free.
Tilbuster youths also built the loading ramp used to get the cattle to the saleyards with a kit donated by Ramage Engineering.