Cattle legacy at Araluen

Dorothy Griggs continues the legacy today of breeding whiteface cattle and decades on the land have taught her all she knows.

In 1952 Mrs Griggs moved to the foot of the mountains surrounding the village of Araluen with her late husband Kevin - and their love for cattle blossomed there.

"When I married him I only had my horse and a dog," she laughed.

They went on to raise five children.

The now dispersed Yang-Yalley stud was later formed in 1972 on a property rich in history.

The name stems from the Chinese saying for "the richest valley" after it served as a popular gold mining site many years ago.

Today, Mrs Griggs runs cattle on 1618 hectares around the region, including 486ha at "Yang-Yalley", with the help of her youngest son Roy.

The terrain of Araluen suited Hereford cattle, she said.

"At the moment I have about 200 Hereford cows and 80 heifers and they travel better than any other breed in the bush," Mrs Griggs said.

"They are better doers and in harder times they will stand up better while others go off a lot easier.

"They hold their condition longer in a tough time."

The Herefords were joined on October 1 and will calve about July.

Mrs Griggs plans to sell weaned calves from last year's drop in May.

"I often sell them straight off their mothers at about nine months old," she said.

"I vary where I sell depending on the price but it's normally through Moss Vale or Braidwood, and Moss Vale is a good market with a lot of butchers buying.

"I'll sell them in the fat market in August if I decide to hold them off."

Throughout her years of having cattle Mrs Griggs has produced many different breeds, including crossbreeds with Angus, Shorthorns and Limousins.

But the characteristics of Hereford cattle were unbeatable, she said.

"They are good milkers and the meat off the Herefords is the best - it is much sweeter," she said.

"I would never get rid of them; when we used to sell in Braidwood there were rows of Hereford cattle but now there might just be a few pens."

"Black cattle seem to be in trend but the truth is that when they are hung up you don't know if they're black or red."

Through the years Mrs Griggs has sourced bloodlines from across southern NSW, including a long relationship with Cootamundra stud, Kirraweena Glenholme Herefords.

"I know all of my cows personally - I know which family the heifers are from and I keep track of them," she said.

"Kirraweena was known well in the Queanbeyan area for producing good milkers, and that's important to me because this is good vealer country around here."

And Mrs Griggs's dedication to breeding quality cattle has not wavered as times have gone by.

"I remember a time when we used to run cattle up through the hills with no fences, because it is gravelly country up here and right through my property "Back Creek" it's all granite," she laughed.

"They are such a tough breed, I wouldn't have anything else."