WHEN Tim Somes opted out of the mining industry in 2014, he knew his dream of returning to agriculture was going to take some creative energy.
But after working as the landholder liaison co-ordinator for an international coal mining company, he also knew the FIFO lifestyle wasn’t sustainable for him.
So motivated by a desire to spend more time with his family and refusing to be daunted by a lack of farmland he started planning.
Two years on the results are a diverse free-range operation rapidly gaining traction as a niche supplier in the state capital.
“In the landholder liaison role I had been based at the mining company’s head office in Brisbane, surrounded by well educated people, on high incomes with an increasing desire to know more about their food’s origin,” he said.
“Before I went into the mining sector I’d spent most of my working life in the northern beef industry and I was always keenly aware of the need for high animal welfare standards.
“But being in Brisbane made me really conscious of the divide between urban people and where their food comes and how it is produced.
“What stood out was how concerned city people were about the humane treatment of livestock and how much they valued sustainable farming; they were also willing to pay premiums for food they knew the origin of.”
So he started weighing up how he could play a part in linking sustainable agriculture to city consumers.
Limited by land size, he and his wife Toni own 50 hectares of fertile Darling Downs agricultural country, but motivated by the fact their Allora property was just two hours from Brisbane, he started planning.
“Our youngest son Angus had a small, free range egg business and has been selling produce into my Eagle Street office with lots of success,” Tim laughed.
“So I bought him out. Gus reckons it was an ‘aggressive, corporate take-over’ but I think he was willing to sell, because he was sick of washing and packing eggs in between footy games on the weekends.”
Then with a Brisbane-based business partner, Nick Proud, who bought marketing finesse to the operation, they launched Eggcettera.
“We built two ‘chook caravans’ which are in fact two truck chassis converted with a steel frame, mesh floor and sides that can be opened for ventilation,” Tim said.
“These ‘caravans’ are designed to be completely mobile and we move them every week so the chooks have fresh feed and we in turn get the benefits of their high nitrogen-manure as fertiliser across our Rhodes grass pasture country.”
The caravans are surrounded by a hectare of electrified netting, which is also moved as needed.
Today there are home to around 800 Isa Browns, Australorp and white leg horn hens predominately enjoying a free range diet with a grain supplement.
The birds are purchased at point of lay from a Gatton Hatchery. There are also 40 Indian Runner and Muscovy ducks that also contribute to weekly egg production.
For the first two years eggs were sold direct and delivered weekly to private and restaurant customers in Brisbane.
But growth in the diversity of Eggcettera Produce along with increasing demand means they are now available to the general public through select retail outlets, while still being sold direct to several restaurants.
“We were very fortunate our market grew organically, via word of mouth and some very effective social media sites run by Nick,” Tim explained.
“From the start we decided if we didn’t have enough direct customers we would sell through Brisbane’s markets and we did end up there a few Sundays, but demand has just continued to outstrip supply for us.”
While free range egg production fluctuates, according to factors like day length and temperature, they work on sending approximately 250 cartons to fill restaurant and supplier orders each week.
“We realised early it wasn’t smart to have all our eggs in one basket, quite literally, so last year we diversified into free range pigs as well.”
The predominately Landrace and Large White pigs are purchased from several preferred suppliers in the region at about six to 8 weeks-old and started on a grower ration in a free-range paddock setting, before being moved onto a customised pecan ration.
Pig consumption like the ration varies with age, but those on the cusp of turn-off are averaging weight gains of 200 to 300 grams per head per day.
“The pecan base came about after conversations with friends, Matthew and Jenny Durack who operate Stahmann Farms in Toowoomba,” Tim said.
“So we get the second grade pecans from Stahmann farms and it gives our pork a really distinct flavour, which is getting great feedback from both butchers and customers.”
Today they run around 50 pigs varying in weight and age. They are turned off, depending on butchers’ orders, pigs at three to five months weighing 20-90kg dressed.
“We sell between five and eight head into the Brisbane butchery each week, plus orders for spit pigs,” Tim said.
“But it has and continues to be a learning curve, for example at the start we had a lot of saddleback pigs and black pigs, but our urban customers preferred white skin so we’ve had to be prepared to make changes to meet the market.”
From an animal management perspective Tim said the free-range environment and a low stress approach to stock handling has made the pigs an easy fit in their increasingly rotational system.
“We keep the pigs behind a single strand of electric tape and despite some reservations from my wife, it’s worked,” he laughed.
Like the eggs, the pork was initially delivered direct to household and restaurant clients in Brisbane, after being processed by Carey Bros abattoir and butchery in Yangan and Warwick.
“Logistically driving around Brisbane dropping off produce was a challenge, although it achieved what we needed it too in terms of connecting farm production directly with consumers,” Tim explained.
“It also emphasised to us how important it was for these high end consumers to meet producers directly and be assured that the produce was coming from a humane and sustainable environment.”
Their latest Eggcettera venture has been into ‘saltbush-fed’ prime lamb. The predominately Dorper and white Dorper lambs are generally purchased through Warwick saleyards at 25-35kg live and finished in a free range setting on South Australian salt-bush pellets along with a Riverin a ration.
They turn off around 30 head a week and depending on butchers’ orders at 20-24kg dressed.
“Lambs fit nicely into our paddock rotational system between the chooks and the pigs and again our emphasis is on raising the animals in a low stress, paddock environment on quality feed,” he said.
“The saltbush is really a trial as the animals’ diet is reflected to a certain extent in the meat, so saltbush just infuses rather than defines the taste experience.”
Today the eggs, pork and newly introduced prime lamb are sold directly through Meat at Billy’s at Ashgrove, in Brisbane.
A choice Tim explains which was made because Billy’s business approach and desire to connect farmers and consumers reflected Eggcettera’s own philosophy.
“Animal welfare and environmental care are paramount to what we are doing,” Tim said.
“For us it’s very important our animals have a good life, I’ve worked in the intensive livestock sector so I have seen both sides and my preference now is for stock that have space and quality of life.
“I don’t want to eat eggs produced in a setting where the birds have a tiny cage to live in for their whole life. I want to know the animals have plenty of space, access to grass, bugs, sunshine, fresh air, dust baths or wallows whatever it is that makes them happy.
“But at the same time I can’t see us venturing down the organic path. What worries me in that setting is the limits in being able to treat stock with veterinary products, if one of our animals is sick I want to know I can use antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications to help them get better.
“Chickens, pigs and sheep have been domesticated over thousands of years - from the animal welfare perspective we are doing the wrong thing by animals if all of a sudden we are asking them to revert back to natural immunities which have been weakened over centuries of human management.”
In the event that medications are used on the farm, Eggcettera adhere to all withholding periods for human consumption and at all times advise their customers.
In reflection, he said transparency has been critical in building trusting relationships with Eggcettera customers.
“From the start we were committed to having an ‘open gate’ policy for the chefs, families and butchers who support us.
“It is an educational opportunity to improve people’s understanding of agriculture and at the same time showcase our commitment to sustainability, animal welfare and a regenerative farming system.”
He has also become a slightly reluctant, but an increasingly regular speaker at urban producer luncheons and events like Meet the Maker workshops in Brisbane.
“I was a bit daunted at first, but now I realise the value of sharing our story and explaining to our urban customers why we do what we do,” Tim explained.
“I’ve even been known to take a few live chooks down with me to show people the difference between legislated descriptions of free-range space and what we give our hens.
“I think we can sit back in the bush and criticise city people for not understanding what we do and the decisions we make or we can open up a little and give them an insight into our operations.
“Sure I’ve had some curly questions, about things like animal slaughter, and they are never easy to answer, but I think honesty is important along with some compassion for their perspective.”
As for the next step with Eggcettera, he’s keeping quiet on that one, but he says at the core of any successful business must be a willingness to continue to grow and change to reflect market demands.
- For more information visit www.eggcettera.com