Scott and Belinda Stewart

Araluen Pastoral Co

Birregurra, VIC

After 20 years with Team Te Mania, Scott and Belinda Stewart they reckon they’re on a winner – and they’ve got a new spring in their step.

As Scott explains: “Our last autumn calves went out the gate this week; from here on we are an all-spring enterprise”.

The spring is also back in their new cashflow step. After 12 years of frustrating battles with Planning Victoria and objectors, the Stewarts now have an operational bluestone quarry primarily supplying crushed rock to the building and road construction industries.

“The beef business has been going beautifully, now our quarry is up and running and that has been such a saga with red tape, slow turnaround times for everything and trying to convince everyone it was not going to end their lifestyles.

With 900 breeders on their property Araluen, running across 2500 acres outside Birregurra, west of Geelong, they are part of the Team Te Mania/Rangers Valley pipeline, turning off 700-900 head each year.

Scott says the moment they became converts was cemented over a swimming class at their local pool where Belinda met Emily McCormack, wife of Te Mania Angus ET and recipient herd manager James McCormack.

“We invited them around for a barbecue and as we got to know them more, James laid out the Team Te Mania project and what it could do for us,” he said.

“I have so much respect for James and his cattle knowledge, in my mind he is up there with the late Andrew Gubbins.

“And James was right, it really was absolutely worth joining as we have a focus on the femininity of our breeders in what is basically a self-replacing herd, and Te Mania Angus genetics have delivered that for us.”

The Stewarts joined Team Te Mania in 2002 and are never content they are being as innovative and efficient as they want, but being at the cutting edge of Angus genetics, one or two seasons ahead of the wider market has given them the females with outstanding phenotype that produce top-performing commercial cattle they were seeking.

Genetics from Te Mania Angus is helping the Stewarts breed productive females and produce steers aimed at the long fed Japanese B3 market.

“Being a member of Team Te Mania gives us exclusive access to the most sought after breeding advice and helps us achieve the ultimate phenotype, while still targeting our markets”, Scott says.

“We also benefit from bull leasing, semen packages, cutting edge information, AI technical support, the Team Te Mania female sale, marketing options and feedlot performance data within the Team.”

  • Members of Team Te Mania since 2002
  • EU Accredited
  • Johne’s status – Beef Only
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