The ‘Wagyu of pork’ B E L L E V I L L A FA R M I S A P E AC E F U L , B U C O L I C P L AC E . EVEN if the 300-odd hectares of two combined farms contains cousins Dean and Mason Mayne, their partners Krystal and Kate, six kids (three each), dogs and cats, cattle, 50 sheep, 300 pigs and 2000 chickens. Together they make up the home of the chemical-free food grower Piggy in the Middle Farms just outside Kilkivan. “We started out in Central Queensland, where we grew up,” Mason said. “We were part of a family partnership, parents and grandparents - we’d always be together working. “I had a few sheep and pigs. I was processing them for ourselves and the family.” “We decided to come down this way for the climate, and to be closer to markets, as there were far fewer people up there. “Deano had pigs, I had sheep, now down here we’re into everything.” Growing up in Central Queensland, Dean said “We were broadacre farmers, with lots of chemicals. “That was one of the advantages in coming down here, to be chemical-free. “Now there are no hormones, no antibiotics in our feed. “There are no yolk enhancers in our laying-hens’ feed – it’s just as natural as we can get it and the animals really benefit from it as well as us and the consumers.” The farm is totally free-range. “I saw the way we had been farming, the land was deteriorating, and I started searching for a way that we could regenerate the land,” Mason said. Page 4 | Your Local Lifestyle December 2021
“I came across a few different people doing a few different things. “These were farmers operating around the world, so I started down the path of regenerative farming, by having the animals and moving them around. “We started seeing the benefits of the land, also the animals and the quality of the meat. “So the idea, when we moved down here, was to run pigs, sheep and chickens for meat, also eggs, and we set it up in 2016. “All our pigs, sheep and chickens are free to forage on natural pastures every day of their lives. “Because we practice rotational grazing, our animals are constantly moving away from their droppings and onto fresh pasture, which they love. “The heritage breed pigs have fresh water and muddy wallows always available, and our Dorper sheep are totally free ranging and 100% grass-fed, while the chickens are on fresh open pasture scratching and aerating the topsoil as they go.” Mason and Krystal’s passion for the land led them to explore the concept of holistic grazing methods. Seeing the benefits to both animals and pastures led them to investigate conventional beef production; not only where food was produced, but the journey it made to the consumer.
For Dean and Kate, some food allergies meant they wanted to question the food their young family consumed. Because of his interest in heritage breed pigs and a background in butchery, Dean began to produce healthier alternatives for the family. His chemical-, nitrateand gluten-free meats and smallgoods were soon in demand with extended family and friends. Regenerative agricultural practices were fundamental to their approach to farming, he said, so they employ systems that aimed to strengthen the health and vitality of the soils. “This is because healthy soils produce healthy, mineral rich grasses - which in turn produces healthy livestock. “As well as regenerating topsoil, these systems increase biodiversity, improve water cycles, enhance ecosystem services and support bio sequestration. “As a result, they also increase the farms’ resilience to increasing climate fluctuations.” Dean said he was often asked “what makes our pork taste so good”. “It’s not only that our animals are raised on pasture - : our pork is heritage-bred.
All our pigs, sheep and chickens are free to forage on natural pastures every day of their lives.
Clu b P iggy Meatbox De li very “While these breeds take longer to raise, it’s well worth the wait. “There’s more flavour and tenderness. “Chefs often refer to it as the wagyu of the pork world.” The team has also developed and built a processing facility on the farm. “We process all our meat and products and we’ve got a smoker there as well so we do all our own nitrate-free smoked bacon and ham, and a lot of smallgoods as well,” Mason said. “A lot of our products are preservativefree.” It’s a big operation – and the kids don’t get a full pass when it comes to farm work either. “From an early age they’re involved in feeding, watering and moving of livestock. “They gather and pack eggs with remarkably few breakages. They help at birthing time and are especially good at cuddling the newborn piglets and those cute-as lambs.”
