In 2014 when Martin Royd’s 16-month-old grass-fed cattle were penalised for yellow fat colour in spite of meeting every other Meat Standards Australia requirement for premium grass-fed status, he lost 20 cents a kilogram across 43 head. He was not happy.
“When Teys told me this, I told them this is healthy fat and they agreed. But, it fell outside the grid and I was told their customers want white fat. That particular customer was Woolworths,” Mr Royds said.
“I knew the carotene giving the fat the yellow colour came from the cattle’s exclusive grass diet, but I realised that an objective measurement had to be taken to provide proper analysis of the meat quality, not only the colour of the fat.”
“So I sent a rump with good fat cover, and a round to the National Measurements Institute food analysis laboratory in Melbourne which also tests Woolworth’s meat. I was pleasantly surprised with the results which included significant amounts of selenium, boron and other minerals, and really delighted with the ratio of (desirable) Omega 3 fatty acids to (undesirable) Omega 6 at 2:1 which is regarded as perfect for optimal human health.
“The other thing I discovered was the meat for Woolworths was only tested for heavy metals.”
Mr Royds runs 200 Angus and black baldy cows on his 455-hectare property. He has been using holistic management for more than 20 years. Each paddock may be grazed for half a day or up to four days, depending on the amount and quality of grasses at the time. Between 200 and 300 head at 450kg are produced each year with an average price of $3.70kg. The usual age is 16 months with most sold at Wagga Wagga and Braidwood saleyards, although a few are sold to My Farm Shop for direct sales to online customers.
Where once were eroded gullies are now chains-of-ponds which Mr Royds allows the cattle into for short periods to graze the cumbungi and phragmytes, both native aquatic plants which used to populate waterways prior to white settlement.
“The rehabilitation of chains-of-ponds is a feature of natural sequence farming, keeping as much water and moisture in the landscape as possible,” Mr Royds said. “The rumen of cattle are very useful to transfer fertility and biology from one part of the farm to another and this is strategically managed every day”.
Cattle like to have a choice of what to eat according to their needs. That is why there are more than 80 species of plants through the pastures.
- Martin Royds
The pasture mix on “Jillamatong” includes many native perennials including themeda sp., danthonia sp., and microlena and many annuals, both native and introduced. The reason for the diversity is to enable stock to have a choice of tastes and to allow them to freely vary their diet. “I’m glad the ‘Jillamatong’ meat was analysed, as it proves we are producing a high-quality nourishing product which people love eating,” Mr Royds said.