ROBERT and Grace Cavedon have been farming deer on their Eurobin property since the late 1980s and have since expanded their farm into a restaurant and tourist complex. NICK HEYDON writes of the red deer which are raised for excellent quality venison.
THE SNOW CAPPED mountain peak in the distance gives the feeling that you could be in some North American wilderness – and the stag grazing below, complete with impressive antlers and stature, contributes to this sense on Red Stag Deer Farm.
This feeling is echoed by the slogan of the farm – “Simply Majestic” – and yes, those antlers really do inspire wonder for an animal which has also become highly valued for its meat.
The Red Stag complex is at Eurobin, north of the Australian Alps in Victoria, and has been a commercial deer farm since its establishment by owners Robert and Grace Cavedon in 1987.
The deer farm has undergone several developments since then, which has included the opening of an on-site restaurant, the introduction of emus as a tourist attraction, a game meats abattoir (of which Robert is chief executive officer but which is operated as a separate entity to the farm) and farm stay accommodation.
Yet deer have always been at its heart, and today visitors can undergo a complete “paddock to plate” experience, with the deer raised on the farm processed through the abattoir and the venison served in the restaurant.
The red deer are run on a 28 hectare portion of the property.
Mr Cavedon said the farm runs about 200 head of deer.
The property is divided into about six paddocks.
He said the red deer in particular had proved to be an ideal choice for the farm.
“The red deer are best suited to here as they like the cold climate,” he said.
The introduction to deer farming had stemmed from Mr Cavedon’s interest in deer hunting when he was younger, and during that time he had come to gain a good understanding of the animals, which has helped in the operation of the farm.
Pursuing the deer farming operation with his wife Grace, they have been able to create a value-added enterprise incorporating the restaurant and accommodation.
He said visitors to the farm and restaurant “absolutely love” the venison meat.
“Venison has a very unique flavour, and our venison eye fillet is very popular,” he said.
He said the deer on the property were grown out to 14 to 16 months of age before being sent to the abattoir and then served in the restaurant.
The property has about 10 breeding stags who usually live until they are about 15 years old.
Mr Cavedon said the breeding stags were intelligent, and were a popular sight with visitors to the property.
The property follows a strict yearly timetable.
“The first fawns are born on November 20, year in, year out, with usually between 80 and 90 a year,” he said.
“The deer will feed on the natural grasses throughout the spring and summer, but as we go through the summer we will also feed some lucerne hay.
“We also supplementary feed the deer beginning in the late autumn and through winter.”
He said the stags would shed their antlers by the first week of September, with the new growth set to take about 120 days.
Those antlers are then used as ornamental and decorative pieces, some of which are displayed in the restaurant and are available for purchase.
The property’s location, set high and looking towards the mountains and across the plains at Eurobin, has also made it a popular venue for functions and weddings with the capacity to feed 150 people.
The restaurant is operated by Grace Cavedon.
Aside from venison, the restaurant serves a selection of other game meats which also come from the abattoir; these include goat, emu and even ostrich.
Mr Cavedon said the game meats were always popular with visitors – a change from the usual Australian diet of beef, lamb or chicken – and some have never had these meats before.
Mr Cavedon also wears another hat, as chief executive officer of The Game Meat Company, with the abattoir processing the deer from the farm which then goes into the restaurant, but predominantly sourcing game meats from other suppliers, and then sending that meat for export.
It was designed as a multiple species game abattoir, catering for goat, emu, ostrich, red and fallow deer, and employs about 35 people.
“Between 5000 to 10,000 deer are processed in the abattoir a year, as well as 4000 emus and 2000 ostriches,” he said.
“We also process 140,000 goats a year, which mostly go to Taiwan, as well as Vietnam and Japan.”
Some of the meat is also sold locally.
Mr Cavedon said many of the goats are sourced from western NSW farms, and the company was also seeking goat suppliers.
As for the future, Mr Cavedon said the next development for the farm would be the introduction of a 60 kilowatt
PV solar system that would supply power for the restaurant and deer farm operations.
The deer tourist complex is open from 10am to 4pm, and is open for all but two days of the year.
Mr Cavedon said there were several elements which had contributed to the success of the Red Stag deer and emu tourist farm and complex, from the setting to the food and functions, but ultimately it was the red deer which had drawn the visitors and which had ignited their curiosity.
“They have been the premier attraction, and like our motto, they are simply majestic.”
Growing taste for venison
DEER really are the flavour of the month on a Victorian farm in the Snowy Mountains region where visitors are able to sample venison produced on the property in its on-site restaurant.
Owned and managed by Robert and Grace Cavedon, the Red Stag Deer Farm has expanded since its establishment in 1987 from a commercial deer farm to now include an on-site restaurant, emus for a tourist attraction, a game meats abattoir and a farm stay.
Yet deer have always been at its heart, and today visitors can undergo a complete “paddock to plate” experience, with the deer raised on the farm processed through the abattoir and the venison served in the farm restaurant.
The restaurant is operated by Mrs Cavedon.
Aside from venison, the restaurant serves a selection of other game meats which also come from the abattoir; these include goat, emu and even ostrich.
Mr Cavedon said the game meats were always popular with visitors – a change from the usual Australian diet of beef, lamb or chicken – and some have never had these meats before.
“Venison has a very unique flavour, and our venison eye fillet is very popular,” he said.
- Read more in Farming Small Areas magazine, free in the September 26 print edition of The Land
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