Our People
Don & Ann Pegler - Co Principals
Don has a working background encompassing management and ownership of agricultural properties, with skills in sheep, wool and cattle. His professional life includes sitting on various MLA committees and boards, with long terms at local Government level as the District Council of Grant Mayor and at a South Australian state level he is a past Member of Parliament for Mt Gambier. Oaklea maternal sheep were started in the early 1980’s and have a long and dedicated history of recording principals applied to them. Don has an excellent ability to examine data and present it in a format that now see’s these ideas applied by the wider prime lamb industry.
Ann a former teacher has worked alongside Don since 1978 in purchasing and developing their sheep stud and farming enterprise. Ann also has a great interest in art, fabric work, design and travel which brings good diversity to Don and Ann's busy life.
Alex and Catherine Lyon
NEXT GENERATION AT OAKLEA
Our daughter Catherine along with her husband Alex Lyon and daughter Molly have moved onto Oaklea as partners and to eventually take over the business.
Alex previously worked in marketing in the wine industry for Yalumba for 10 years before a shift to 'Stoller', selling fertilizer across the South East of S.A. For the last 4 years Alex has been working for his families business Fleurieu Peninsula Agriculture (FPAG) in Strathalbyn with his brother, before making the move back down to the South East. FPAG run a fertiliser and agriculture merchandise business.
Alex has always had a passion to work on the land and he is particularly interested in livestock breeding and management along with good pasture and fodder production.
Catherine previously worked as a midwife at Women's & Children's Hospital in Adelaide and then had a 18 month stint with the Hamersmith Fire Brigade in London. On her return to Australia she decided on a career change, returning to university to gain her masters in Urban & Regional Planning. Catherine then worked at Wattle Range Council as the Planning Officer for a few years, and for the last 4 years has been based in Adelaide working for the NBN in a Land Access & Statutory Approvals role covering WA, SA & NT.
Catherine and Al are loving their new career and the lifestyle that they now have amongst family and friends and are sure that it is the right move for Molly and her many future siblings.
We are enjoying teaching them everything we know and handing over the reigns as they feel comfortable in taking them up.
John Keiller - Co Principal
Tertiary Ag Science studies from 1984 to 1986 saw important mentorships with leading animal genetic and production researchers formed. These led to the development of Cashmore maternal self replacing sheep well before it was fashionable with John as an early adopter of performance recording sheep with LAMBPLAN in 1990 and its associated technologies. A chance comment by Don at a ram sale subsequently led to the development of Cashmore Oaklea. John is a past president of the Coopworth Sheep Society of Australia, Tarragal Landcare Group and current chairman of the South West Prime Lamb Group. He has been involved with farm benchmarking and the “10%” Best Wool Best Lamb discussion group and has spoken at state and national level on sheep / cattle genetics and production and their place in the future.
Brigita Keiller - Office / Administration
Brigita brings education, marketing and administration to the Cashmore Oaklea team. Her background in Primary teaching , interest in quilting and family connection to the Barossa Valley with its fine wines adds balance to our sheep filled lives. She has excellent organisational skills in getting our open days and presentations prepared and presented in a well thought out and delivered manner.
