Leading Cumbrian auction firm Mitchells has appointed its first female non-executive director in its 150-year history.
Bootle farmer Rachael Millard has joined the Cockermouth-based company’s board of directors.
Mitchells chairman Ian Powley said: “We have listened to our shareholders who told us they would like any new director appointed to the board to be a farmer, female and from ‘down west’. I believe Rachael ticks all these boxes and more and we are very much looking forward to working with her.”
Rachael said she was delighted and honoured to be asked to join the board and felt the role played by livestock auctions had never been more important, given the current climate of uncertainty for farmers with the rising cost of feed, fuel and fertilisers.
She said: “We need to be able to sell reliably through the auction to maintain the value of our stock. Livestock auctions put a floor in the market and give farmers a true and realistic price for their livestock.”
Rachael grew up on her parents’ farm in the Whicham Valley where they farmed beef, sheep and for a period ran a dairy herd too.
She now farms sheep and beef at Old Hyton Farm near Bootle with her husband Ian and they are longstanding customers of Mitchells having sold livestock through the mart for 20 years, even before the mart moved out of town.
She said: “We always feel we’ve had a good and fair trade at Mitchells and other farmers we talk to have the same experience. The social aspect is great too – the Fairfield café has a great menu – so we always go home feeling we’ve had an enjoyable and rewarding day out!”
She also brings over 30 years’ experience as a committee member of Millom and Broughton Agricultural Show where she was appointed Sheep Secretary six years ago and is renowned for her keen eye when judging stock.
Earlier in her career she worked for the Furness and South Cumberland Supply Association, a farmers’ co-op, where she developed a strong network of contacts with local farmers.
Rachael is now looking forward to her new role on Mitchells’ board and providing an ear to the ground among the wider farming community in the south west of the county.
She added: “I want to be approachable and be there in person on sale days listening to what our customers are saying and feeding that back to the board so we can keep up the good work that Mitchells is already doing.”
Rachael’s appointment is due to be formally ratified at Mitchells’ AGM in May.
