Barham’s Bundarra Farming For Good is putting the district on the national food map after its home-grown pastured chicken was named a winner in the delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards.
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Bundarra owner Lauren Stevens said winning Producer of the Year validated more than a decade of thought, experimentation and work to develop a chicken suited to the region’s dry conditions without sacrificing flavour or eating quality.
“It means a lot because all those years of thinking this could be a good idea have eventuated in it being recognised as one of the best chickens in Australia,” she said.
“It is a huge step forward. I hope we can now grow that side of the business, knowing it has been recognised.”
Bundarra’s core business had traditionally been free-range pork, but Ms Stevens had long wanted to add another protein to its range.
She spent about 10 years considering how to develop a chicken that could thrive in an arid environment while producing high-quality meat.
The farm initially raised Sommerlad chickens, but found the breed difficult to reproduce consistently.
Ms Stevens then began working with breeder Adrian Flett, from Australian Bresse Chickens, to develop what became the Bundarra pastured chicken.
While she kept the exact breeding mix confidential, Ms Stevens said much of the bird’s eating quality came from Australian Bresse genetics.
“He loves breeding chickens, I love growing meat, and we have a brand and the ability to bring those things together,” she said.
The finalist recognition also had a strong local connection, with Bundarra’s chickens processed through the Murray Plains Meat Cooperative micro-abattoir.
Ms Stevens helped establish the project in 2016 and said it was rewarding to see the facility supporting nationally recognised produce.
“It is nice to see that closed loop,” she said.
“I can be proud that something I helped start is now processing some of the country’s best chicken. That is pretty cool.”
Bundarra Farm began producing free-range heritage pork about 2010 after Ms Stevens identified a gap in the local market for Berkshire pork.
The business later expanded into butchering, smallgoods and charcuterie to use as much of each carcase as possible.
Its production facility moved into Barham shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic and produced goods ranging from bacon to salami.
Bundarra’s products were shipped across Australia and supplied directly to customers, including hatted restaurants.
Ms Stevens said the business had grown through incremental steps, with its farming model focused on soil health rather than high-volume production.
Animals were rotated between paddocks, while sections of land were rested and planted with cover crops to rebuild the soil.
The farm also introduced perennial plants and legumes, set aside 40 acres for wetland restoration using environmental water, and powered the farm and Barham butchery with solar panels and batteries.
It avoided synthetic fertilisers, routine antibiotics and blanket animal treatments.
“We aren’t growing for yield or volume,” Ms Stevens said.
“We’re growing for flavour and quality, and I think that is what sets us apart.”
Ms Stevens said regenerative farming allowed Bundarra to improve the health of its land rather than continually extract from it.
Animals naturally fertilised the paddocks, while cover crops helped manage nutrient levels and soil conditions.
She said the approach was more environmentally sustainable and better suited to a smaller farming operation.
Bundarra’s next step was to establish its own chicken brooding operation, allowing the farm to receive day-old chicks and increase production.
The business relied on Mr Flett to brood its chickens, limiting the number available to raise.
Ms Stevens said Bundarra could establish a strong and consistent supply within six months of opening its own brooding facilities.
~ Gus van Hart, Koondrook Barham Bridge