On the foothills of the McPherson Ranges you'll find one of Queensland's most unique beef operations, Running Creek Beef.
Sharing a fence with the New South Wales border, the picturesque property would fit in the basement of a model train hobbyist, with the Sydney-Brisbane rail corridor decorating the lush green mountain.
Second generation farmers Rod and Deb Richardson purchased the property in 2018 to operate their one-of-a-kind paddock to plate business.
The 270 hectare property is home to more than 250 head of grass-fed Australian Sahiwal cattle.
Sahiwals sire small, fast-growing calves that can be born easily and unaided in the paddock.
The Sahiwal was first introduced to Australia from Pakistan by the CSIRO in the 1950s for their natural tick resistance and ability to produce both beef and milk under hot tropical conditions.
Mr Richardson's relationship with the Sahiwal goes back more than 30 years, after a tick infestation forced his father's dairy to introduce the parasite-resistant animals. He has admired the cattle ever since.
No dip, no stress, better meat
The two things that make the Sahiwal so special in the eyes of Rod and Deb Richardson are their heat and tick resistant genetics mixed with their calm and friendly temperament.
Both of these traits mean their cattle are freely allowed to roam their spacious property and avoid lengthy, expensive and chemical-intense dipping procedures which put immense stress on the animal.
"The Sahiwal's uniqueness mean we only have to bring the cattle down every three or four months," Mrs Richardson said.
"They all live in the mountains, so the less we have to do that the better - it takes a full team.
"The cattle get to live a calm life up in the mountains, eating a variety of grasses."
Running Creek Beef's cattle is slaughtered at Highchester Abattoir at 420-450 kilograms, and Mr Richardson said it is the 'optimum' weight for bone ratio and age.
From the abattoir, the carcase is sent to award-winning local butcher Gary Middlebrook at Elite Meats, Boonah.
Mr Richardson said that since the start of their paddock to plate business, they've seen the results a stress-free life has had on their animals and how much potential there is to value add.
"Gary will put the knife in and be able to tell us just how much stress the animal has had, and for Sahiwals the better their lives, the better the meat," he said.
"I've worked with cattle for 45 years, and since starting our paddock to plate business, I'm hearing about cuts of meat that I have to scratch my head about. There is a real consumer appetite for not just delicious grass-fed beef, but knowing where the meat is coming from."
Once the butcher is done with the cattle, all customer-requested cuts are packed into cryovaced air-tight bags and are picked up by the Richardson's in their refrigerated vehicle who then deliver their product by hand to customers.
"We deliver all around south east Queensland, from the Gold Coast, through to Ipswich and north Brisbane," Mrs Richardson said.
"Our customers want to support local farmers and want to know who their local farmers are."
Next week is Scenic Rim Eat Local Week and as part Running Creek Beef is hosting a Country Heart and Soul Dinner - showcasing not just their own but a range of local producers products.
"Eat Local Week means we get to build on our relationships with like-minded farmers," Mrs Richardson said.
"Combining our products with other local producers and then making it a social event gives us a chance to celebrate what we all do, and that is make delicious food.
"When you find these other family-based businesses out there, it is just such a real joy to work with them."
