ON FARM SOUTHERN CATTLE ground up “It’s part of being SNAPSHOT: a stockman. You Deb and Fergus recognise your O’Connor, Berry’s stock, you recognise Creek, South their needs. Gippsland, Victoria l “Keep things as simple and close to nature as possible – Fergus O’Connor draws on especially with cattle.” principles from his past as a Deb O’Connor on her Gippsland racehorse trainer to put himself Good water beef property. in his steers’ ‘shoes’. Deb and Fergus are just as committed to caring for their eating meat,” Deb said. completely calm with all natural resources as they are “I’m interested in doing their mates – they don’t their cattle. things to counter that get pushed through the misinformation. Our beef saleyards,” Fergus said. Area: “I’m absolutely passionate 60ha about water and underground production doesn’t use a lot “We book them in, send them water,” Fergus said. of water, the animals are well on the Sunday afternoon Enterprise: treated, the environment is and they’re all processed the Beef cattle “If we ruin the aquifers, the looked after.” next morning. farm becomes useless.” Livestock: It was for these reasons Deb “We produce beef with colour, 150 young Angus and They’ve fenced off and and Fergus participated in taste and texture. We think Hereford steers revegetated a creek which MLA’s Australian Good Meat it’s so much nicer because it runs through the farm, along program to tell their story, has the flavour. It’s also nicer Pasture: with two large dams. in their own words. for the animals. All perennials, mainly “All the native crayfish, frogs, “I thought it was a good ryegrass, with other species “More and more creeping in: redquin clover, and lots of native plants – idea to help promote white clover, plantain, ferns and things that hadn’t sustainably-raised beef so people are interested grown here for years – have people actually know what in how their food cocksfoot and phalaris come back,” Fergus said. they’re eating,” Deb said. is looked after and Soil: “We’ve probably lost 5% of Happy animals where it comes from. Volcanic ferrosol our land to trees, but the The O’Connors sell their beef I’d actually like to be Rainfall: benefit of having shelter to through Greenham’s Bass 1,000mm spread evenly keep your cattle warm in the Strait brand, as part of the a steer here.” ‘Never Ever’ program. throughout the year cold and cool in the heat is Size doesn’t matter so worthwhile.” This program guarantees Deb and Fergus The O’Connors said they Cattle also drink pristine beef is: do face challenges running a O’Connor spring water which flows • 100% grassfed small-scale enterprise, such E: debandfergus@gmail. to the farm. Stock water is • free of added hormones as buying young cattle at the com pumped to a header tank and antibiotics right price. and gravity-fed to troughs, to Deb and Fergus share ensure the riparian zones on • free-range (never confined “You can farm successfully their story in their the farm are protected. to a feedlot) and profitably on a small Australian Good • free from genetically scale, but the only way the Meat video: Fergus and Deb calculated modified organisms small scale can happen is by goodmeat.com.au/ their water consumption nurturing the land, the cattle producers using waterfootprintassess • Meat Standards Australia and the plants,” Deb said. (MSA) certified. Assess your water menttool.org and worked footprint: out they use less than The farm’s close proximity However, the O’Connors have developed business waterfootprintassess 200L/kg of beef produced (about 30 minutes’ drive) to principles which apply to menttool.org on their property. the processor plays a part in any scale of enterprise, “There’s a lot of reducing stress when cattle such as land management, misinformation around are transported. planting shelter and fencing about the sustainability of “The cattle go away creek lines. ■ 31