Twelve buck burgers - who says recession?
From the April 2009 edition of Agriculture Today.
Any organic beef producer who sells the meat that then sells 5000 burgers at one event at 12 dollars a shot is litmus to the keenness of both the current demand and supply sides of organics industries in most parts of the world.
The organic Wagyu of Rob and Nita Lennon’s Gundooee Organics stimulated the taste buds of willing consumers at the inaugural Taste of Sydney festival, held over four days in mid-March.
For the occasion, they teamed up with the largest regular purchaser of their beef, award winning Sydney chef Justin North, proprietor of Bécasse restaurant.
On their Central Tablelands property, “Gundooee”, near Dunedoo, the Lennons are succeeding with a smaller Wagyu herd than conventional wisdom advocates.
“By keeping total control of their whole production and marketing systems, the Lennons have been able to maximise returns from fewer animals,” NSW DPI beef products district livestock officer, Brett Littler, said.
When it comes to advice, the Lennons are open-minded.
Mr Littler, based at Mudgee, has worked with them to improve their live animal assessment skills including fat scoring and physiological maturity, which helps to ensure they better meet customers’ needs.
“Gundooee” has been certified A Grade Organic with the Biological Farmers of Australia since 2004.
The Lennons invest time and effort into monitoring the growth and welfare of their animals, and this continues beyond the farm gate.
Customers have different requirements, and the producers match their animals to best meet each client’s specifications.
They directly supply six butchers and, in addition to Bécasse and Plan B, to Mr North’s other well reviewed restaurant, Etch, which opened in November.
Provedores (wholesalers) in both Sydney and Canberra also buy, then on-sell cuts to another six restaurants.
The Lennons have open communication with all these clients and act on their feedback.
“Meeting consumer needs and listening to feedback is ensuring satisfied customers, as ‘Gundooee’ continues to increase its product quality,” Mr Littler said.
“It has been really interesting working with the Lennons, with their open minded approach to beef production.
“They have adopted a whole different way of thinking to gain maximum results from their property.”
While most beef producers are concentrating on key performance indicators like kilograms produced per hectare and the cost to produce those kilograms, Rob and Nita have taken a holistic approach.
To improve their property, the Lennons adopted a rotational grazing system to enhance soil health, which has increased their farm biodiversity including the soil biology, their highest agronomic priority.
They have promoted the return of native perennial pastures, shrubs and trees.
Mr Lennon says a natural and passive approach to management, with ethical and environmentally sustainable farming techniques at “Gundooee”, will remain their primary consideration.
He completed the Meat Standards Australia meat science course in 2007, gaining valuable knowledge about what affects tenderness, juiciness and flavour, and things directly applicable to his business.
Mr Lennon believes everyone who handles live animals, and all meat handlers, would gain greater understanding of their own situation from this course, and learn about all aspects of the production and supply chain.
The inaugural Taste of Sydney festival has come and gone but Justin North’s Sydney take away sandwich shop Plan B is the alternative place to get a burger made from Gundooee Organics beef.
Contact Brett Littler, Mudgee, (02) 6372 4712 or visit www.gundooeeorganics.com.au
