If you drive past a property employing the methods of Natural Sequence Farming you may not initially be struck by the difference in pasture. The secret the water is in the ground, not on top and readily being evaporated in this sort of weather.
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It’s this in ground filtered water that produces healthy bio-diverse pasture which has proven to be the most nutritious and vital for healthy and sustainable animal production.
“Thinking naturally about the farming process is about building from the soil up” says local farmer Martin Royds. Royds has been supplying the Braidwood farmers markets with his Jillamatong Farm Produce and has often been asked “why is our beef so delicious and tender?”
Martin explains that what makes the difference?
Having held many Landcare field days at his property, agronomists and Landcare officers have monitored the variety of species across the property.
Martin’s cattle graze on 80 different pasture species comprising grasses, forbes and herbs that are encouraged by the biologically active soil and holistically managed grazing.
Adhering to the principles of maverick Australian landscape interpreter Peter Andrews, the property has been transformed over the last 8 years to slow down water in the landscape, together with broad scale composting.
The cattle at Jillamatong are handled quietly in shaded paddocks, drenched with apple cider vinegar, and have free access to minerals licks.
Subscribing to the goal of ‘low food miles’ the locally owned and ethically operated abattoir, Milton District Meats processes the cattle and delivers them to the local professional butcher Mick, who dry ages for 10 days, then wet ages in cryovac.
Patricia Solomon from Jillamatong says “it’s been really encouraging to get positive feedback from people in the street and people are really interested to know why our meat is different. I usually say the reason is ‘everything.”
The next Farmers Market in Braidwood is Saturday 1st February.