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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Rachael Lebeter

‘These things are irreplaceable’: one farmer’s long view on foot-and-mouth disease

Rachael Lebeter and her cattle herd in Tweed Valley, NSW, Australia
‘If I were to lose my whole herd – genetics, livelihood, everything – I’m not sure I would start over’: Rachael Lebeter on her Tweed Valley property. Photograph: Marilyn Lebeter

The reddish-brown cow has perfectly balanced, upward-pointing horns and she isn’t afraid to use them. In the cattle truck, she is swinging her head this way and that. It is a constant dance for the others to keep out of her way.

The driver says: “You’ve got to cut her some slack, she’s got a little calf.” But it isn’t the calf, that’s just her personality.

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