An Australian Organic award for its beef lasagna, presented in Melbourne last Friday, means the Toowoomba-based Arcadian Organic & Natural Meat Co has won the industry's certified food product of the year award for three years in a row.
The company, which sources its grassfed beef from central and western parts of Queensland and from the Northern Territory, won last year for their Cleaver's brand chicken nuggets and in 2017 with organic hotdogs.
A year earlier, Cleaver's Organic Meat Honey Beef Chipolatas was a finalist in the best organic food product category.
Australian Organic CEO Niki Ford described the Arcadian Organic & Natural Meat Co as pioneers in the organic meat industry with their Cleaver's brand.
"Their innovative products, such as the Cleaver's Beef Lasagne, continue to help make organic products affordable, more available and more appealing to consumers," she said. "Such a tasty, high-quality, nutritious product is a credit to the organic industry, making them deserving award winners."
The company's flagship Cleaver's brand is the most successful organic meat brand in Australia, and the company is a leading global supplier of premium quality certified organic meat.
It prides itself on a history of innovation and meeting the changing demands of the market with award-winning products that continue to come on the market.
The product is the first certified organic grass fed beef lasagne commercially available on a large scale in major Australian supermarkets, and is made with organic pasta, cheese and vegetables as well as meat.
Read more: Arcadian locks in on carbon neutral meat
All Cleaver's branded organic products are distributed domestically in over 1000 Coles and Woolworths supermarkets and independent stores, but the company wants to expand to export markets and increase the range of products available, building on existing brand recognition.
Arcadian is currently the largest processor of organic livestock in Australia. Blackall-based supplier Iain Scholes was a finalist in the Farmer of the Year award, which was won by third generation NSW organic egg producer Petar Pirovic.
Rolleston's Bloss Hickson, Bush Beef Pty Ltd, was also a finalist.
Chicken feed wins non-food award
Greenmount feed milling operation Aus Organic Feeds Pty Ltd was the other Queensland winner in the national organic awards, receiving the trophy for certified organic non-food product of the year with its retail range of certified organic chicken feeds.
AOF is the sister company to Kialla Pure Foods and together they form Australia's largest dedicated organic milling operation.
The company was established in 2000 to take off-spec grain from KPF, which enabled synergies between the two businesses to be achieved that provide an ongoing competitive advantage when it comes to sourcing organic grains, in an industry where supply is limited.
The greenfields state-of-the-art-mill constructed in 2018 took AOF's capacity to produce quality stock feed to a whole new level.
It actively developed its poultry retail range to service the growing market for the 'backyard' organic chicken owner, saying it brought their expertise producing poultry feed for commercial organic operators to those who keep chickens at home.
Australian Organic CEO Niki Ford said Aus Organic Feeds developed products in a way that care for the environment, by utilising off-spec grain and by-product from the milling process.
"They truly understand the need for traceable, high quality products and their range of feeds are really helping to educate 'backyard' chicken owners on rearing their chickens organically, which is what made them such a stand-out in this category," she said.
AOF's animal feeds are professionally formulated by an animal nutritionist.
The Kialla Group is one of the original processors certified by the BFA and has been intimately involved with the organic industry for over 30 years.
Managing director Quentin Kennedy comes from a farming background and became involved in organics thanks to a belief that it provided a healthier future for farmers and consumers.
The group purchased a 650 hectare farm in central Queensland in 2016 to build a supply chain to provide consistent growth for the business.
Mr Kennedy said they had developed the organic poultry range for the backyard and hobby farm enthusiast because they saw an increase in organic consumers wanting to be more in touch with the source of their food.
"People value what they feed their animals and in turn what they consume," he said. "One way they can do that is to keep chickens in their backyards, so we're also committed to educating them on how they can grow their own organic eggs and understand more of what's involved in being organic."
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
