Regenerative Beef Update

Back in 2022 we trialled processing and selling our own Beef Packs. Here’s what we wrote at the time……

‘Over the last 7 years we have been cross breeding our dairy herd with dual purpose animals – selectively creating a herd of cows that serve us well in both cheese making whilst also providing steers that grow out beautifully as beef cattle. These cows have been raised organically – being milk fed then moving straight to chemical free pasture. They play an important role in our holistic grazing system and form part of a larger mob of dry cows and young stock that cell graze the hilly pastures that our dairy herd can’t access. These areas are rich in biodiverse plant species that the cows are free to forage before their daily move. This high rotation, holistic grazing pattern and the work that we do to improve soil health provides the cows with a rich and varied diet.

We know that food grown in regenerative systems provide us with nutrient dense, incredibly delicious produce and we are proud to include The Pines Regenerative Beef Range as part of our offering. By respectfully processing one animal a month we hope to provide our community with access to the a range of premium cuts, sausage and mince. Gradually we hope to introduce specialty options like organs, beef cheeks, tallow and bone broth as we believe all parts of our cows can serve a purpose in feeding and nourishing our local community.’

 

Where are we now?

Whilst we loved being able to provide Beef to the community we faced numerous hurdles around processing. Without having our own Meat License things got a little fiddly –  which ended with us putting Beef in the too hard basket. We’ve also transitioned to a smaller land size over the last year meaning the number of animal we can run has decreased. We aren’t currently running any older steers on the property, instead focussing on our small dairy herd.

At the moment we run 31 cows with 20 calves at foot and small number of replacement heifers. In the future we would love to re-explore the possibility of supply our steers to the local community. This might look like Pre-paid Beef boxes, on farm butchery courses or a combination of the 2. Logistically, the food systems in place aren’t set up for small farmers. We aren’t the only ones finding it hard to exist as small-scale food producers across Australia.

If you have questions around why food prices are increasing, why farmers are stepping away from their land or why the products you love are no longer available then please take a look at the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance Website. They work tirelessly to advocate for the peoples right to farm and consume food the way the want to. They can shed plenty of light on the ongoing legislative issues facing producers.

When we have things figured out – we’ll be sure to share it with you all!!

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