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Magnetic Mountain’s positive new business

Oct 11, 2020

She has a head for business, already knows about retail margins, wholesaling costs and profits, and is learning the part suppliers play in a successful store. Meet the Hawkesbury’s latest businesswoman – 13-year-old Jaz Rosina.

Last Sunday saw Jaz – whose family own acreage at Magnetic Mountain on Bowen Mountain Road – set up her roadside stall offering products from the family’s farm. It was a total success, with locals and passers-bstopping to buy honeycombs, plants and eggs – and all were gone in just an hour.

“My husband Ben and I decided to move to acreage six years ago with the hope of turning it into a little hobby farm,” Jaz’s mum Linda Rosina told the Post.

Jaz and younger bother Jacob collecting oranges for sale

“Now we have more than we can consume. Jaz is 13 this month and is keen to start her own business and save up to buy a horse and be able to keep up with the expenses that go with that. She has been looking around the property for what she might be able to sell at a stall,” said Linda.

Linda says her daughter is planning to open the store regularly, aiming for a once-a-week appearance from this coming weekend.

On the property the family have bees, chickens, an orchard and a large and varied veggie patch, plus an aquaponics system with Koi fish.

Dad Ben looks after the bees

And it’s not just a hobby. Jaz is keen to make the business grow and flourish.

“I wanted to create something special for the local community and it gives me a chance to get to know a lot of them. I also like how tourists come from Sydney to experience Magnetic Mountain,” she said.

For this who don’t know, a magnetic mountain or magnetic hill is an optical illusion. In the case of Bowen Mountain Road, it runs from the crest just after the junction of Westbury Road and while the road appears to go uphill, it’s actually a slight downhill slope, which if you let your vehicle roll, gives the impression some force is pulling it uphill – hence magnetic. It’s an extremely rare phenomenon.

Jaz’s sister Talia helps out feeding the chickens

Linda and Ben are making sure their daughter knows what she needs to do to make her business a success.

“We want this to be a learning experience for her more than anything,” says Linda.

“I want her to learn about the pros and cons of running a business. She does not keep all the proceeds. She pays her sister Talia for helping her with signage and us as the ‘suppliers’. We’ve discussed wholesaling and retail margins too, and how best to market her new business.

Locals flocked to Jaz’s first opening last Sunday

“The first day we just used signage (and my last minute social media post). Our property is on Magnetic Mountain so she has named her stall Magnetic Mountain Memories,” Linda said.

“I want people to come to our property and be able to take something with them,” Jaz said. “That’s what made me think of the name Magnetic Mountain Memories.”

Linda says they have plans for expansion.

“We hope to one day have a set-up where people can visit our property, interact with the farm animals, buy bits and pieces we have grown, and pick their own fruit.

So if you see one of the Hawkesbury’s youngest entrepreneurs at her roadside stall on the weekend, give her an encouraging wave, or better still, stop, have a chat, and buy some truly locally grown and raised food.

All pictures courtesy of Linda Rosina

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