What’s Wrong With Lamb? Climate Change Complexity…
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October 14, 2008Green Globe Lite – Sustainability And Tourism Businesses
October 21, 2008David Graham is worried about farming sustainability. The founder of the ‘Farmer Dave Free Range Lambs’ label – farmerdavedirect.com.au – he is a new breed of meat producer, taking control of their supply chain, from paddock to plate. More and more farmers are taking up more sustainable methods – such as free range farming – he says.
Julianne Dowling of the Sydney Morning Herald has written a fascinating story about the David Graham, the gay cowboy on Big Brother and competitor on Dancing with the Stars.
Ross Garnaut’s recent comments that kangaroo farming might replace the beef and sheep industry, both high emitters of greenhouse gases stirred the pot…
How Does Farmer Dave Respond?
- David does not use irrigation, fertilisers or any farming practices that don’t improve the land
- He does not shear, crutch or cut the tails off the hardy South African sheep he has cross-bred
- He produces his meat with a co-operative of farming families in north-west NSW and up to south and central Queensland; processing it through a wholly-owned outlet on the Gold Coast; and through a loose group of ‘friends’ sells lamb meat through the produce and farmers’ markets
”When I went back to the farm (after Big Brother), I knew I was either losing it to the drought, or (I could) have a belief in myself and what I could do – so I went that route. Big Brother gave me that strength.”
Farmerdavedirect.com.au began in 1993, when a friend told him about the Dorper breed of sheep.
Known for their hardy, goat-like characteristics, the good-eating Dorper could survive desert conditions, control weeds and eat Queensland blue grass. They didn’t grow wool or require shearing and were easy to manage.
”I wanted to find a breed of livestock that was small in size, didn’t create erosion by cropping too heavily and could live on native pastures. I also wanted to farm without chemicals.”
Mr Graham and his brother-in-law Sean Boman recruited general manager Peter Athey to work out a way to sell their drought-resistant grass-fed sheep meat direct to the public as well as the hospitality industry.
Market Research
David says:
”We wanted to go to the farmers’ markets initially to see what people wanted…
We were only selling small amounts online and this seemed to make sense.
We found that modern urban households don’t want whole lambs in a box or even 2.5 kilos lamb cuts because they don’t have big freezers like farming families. So that was our first lesson. We started doing smaller cuts.”
About 70 lambs a week are now sold directly to the public through their processing shopfront, online sales and 10 farmer’s markets with plans to go into southern states.
As well, the restaurant trade is taking a closer look with the meat being offered in E’cco Bistro in Brisbane by celebrity chef Philip Johnson and Bamboo restaurant at the Casuarina in northern NSW.
There’s no doubt that the drive to lower the carbon footprint is on the minds of most livestock producers.
The Organic Meat Industry And Farmer Dave’s Approach
The organic meat industry lays claim to greenhouse gas reduction, but what will happen to Australia’s 20 million lambs, nine million cattle and 445 million chickens still involved in traditional farming practices?
David says his approach is similar to organics but without the certification. He says:
”Sometimes, people are sceptical of the organic label and it’s also seen as the expensive version of a product. I didn’t want my product to be seen in that way..
Free range lamb is a natural product – unlike fed-lock lambs, which are kept in a small yard and fed continuously.”
Sustainability Aspects Of Dorper Lamb – The Kangaroo of the Meat Industry
David and his group believe that Dorpers are a breed of lamb to watch: the kangaroo of the meat industry that Ross Garnaut is talking about in terms of lower emissions.
David and Peter have found that cutting out the middle man and selling direct worked best from a financial perspective. The auction markets gave their farmers only $26 a lamb while the supermarkets valued the same animal at $300.
”Australia has to get smarter breeds on the land and this is one solution,” says general manager Peter Athey.
Good Grazing Practices And The Climate Change Debate
The pair believes the positive role of good grazing practices is often ignored in the climate change debate.
”Cattle and sheep keep areas safe from bushfires and sustain trees by stopping natural disasters. People can’t ignore that.
Younger trees take up more surface water and that stops water flow into catchments.
It’s all very connected and when people pinpoint problems, they don’t look at it in a complete way. Farmers have to do that.”
Interesting…very complex…
2 Comments
The lamb looks as lamb should, or at least as I remember it from my Dad’s butcher shop 40 years ago!!!! The flavour of the honey and mint sausages has to be tasted to understand how magical that combination is. I congratulate you on your product, the pricing and your philosophies. Thank you
Eating meat and dairy products is extremely bad for the environment, your health and the animals. Why not just go vegan and save the planet and your health at the same time?