Winter arrived at The Food Farm this year, but only just. The mornings have been mild, the grass has kept growing longer than usual, and the animals seem almost confused by the lack of a proper chill. It has been a strange, soft season and we have been finding our rhythm in it.
We always say that regenerative farming is really just the practice of paying close attention. A warmer than usual winter demands its own kind of attention. The obvious urgency of summer (the heat, the flies, the pressure on water) hasn't fully left, and in its place there's an odd in-between feeling. You notice things you'd normally expect to be dormant, still quietly ticking along.
Right now the cattle are grazing the lower paddocks. Grass growth slows considerably through June and July on the Central Coast, which means we move the mob less frequently and watch the ground more carefully. Regenerative grazing is never about a fixed rotation. It's about reading the land and responding. Too long in one spot and you compact the soil; too short and the pasture never has time to recover. Winter is when that balance takes the most patience.
The pasture raised chickens have barely noticed it's winter. Usually they're slower to come out in the mornings, but this year they've been out early, working the paddock like it's still April. We're not complaining. It's one of our favourite things to watch: the way different animals use the same piece of land in completely different ways, each one leaving it a little better than they found it.
Regenerative Farming is really just the practice of paying close attention. And winter demands a different kind of attention.
In the butchery, winter is still our busiest season even when the weather doesn't quite commit to it. There's something psychological about the calendar turning to June that makes people want to braise, slow-cook, and fill their houses with the smell of something good. Grass Fed, Grass Finished Beef brisket, Grass Fed, Grass Finished short ribs, nourishing bone broth: these are the cuts and products that find their way into your kitchen this time of year, and we have been making sure the shelves are well stocked.
We've also been working through a few quiet farm projects that never seem to get attention in summer: repairing some fencing on the upper boundary, improving drainage in one of the chicken paddocks, and building a new shelter structure for the pasture raised pigs. The kind of work that doesn't photograph well but matters enormously when the next storm rolls through.
And then there are the dogs, always underfoot, always convinced they are essential to every task. They're not wrong.
On the farm right now
Brisket, short ribs, and chuck roast all butchered in-house and at their best through the cooler months. Perfect for a long Sunday afternoon.
Made from our grass-fed beef bones with nothing added. Rich, golden, and the kind of thing you'll want on hand all winter. Stock up while you can.
The whole bird comes into its own this time of year, roasted low and slow, or poached for a broth that can carry a family through the week.
Wood smoked and cured without nitrates. The kind of bacon that makes winter mornings feel like they're worth getting out of bed for.
If you've been thinking about visiting The Food Farm, this is actually a lovely time to come. The valley is green, the air is fresh without being biting, and the mild conditions make for a genuinely pleasant morning out. We're still running farm tours most weekends, so keep an eye on the events page if you'd like to come out and see the operation for yourself.
Until then, we hope your winter table is full of good things. Thank you, as always, for being part of the farmily. Every order matters more than we can say, and it's what keeps this land working the way it should.
Hannah & Tim,
The Food Farm
Yarramalong Valley
