Finding integrity in regenerative farming

Establishing Integrity Agriculture in 2022 in partnership with Luke and Pia Winder, the families recently celebrated the opening of butcher shop Integrity Meats in Goulburn and have spent the past three years learning the ins and outs of ethical, regenerative beef production.

Formerly living and working in Sydney as an arborist and dental nurse respectively, Mr and Mrs McWilliam were admittedly "stuck in the rat race" before deciding to lease a small property in Wilton, NSW.

"We planned to expand the tree business but ended up buying half a dozen poddy calves - they were just the dribs and drabs off Gumtree," Mr McWilliam said.

"The thought was to buy some smaller ones that couldn't hurt us and it wouldn't have been two weeks later that we had decided to side-swipe the idea of the tree business.

"We wanted to go further than Wilton and be more involved in the cattle industry."

With no prior experience working with livestock, Mr McWilliam said he vividly remembers the moment he pulled over on the side of the road to Google the difference between a steer and a heifer.

"Just over three years ago, I had never stood in a set of cattle yards and neither had Amber."

"It wasn't long after that, we bought some cows and a Speckle Park bull from Wattle Grove ...this was all within the first three months of our farming adventure."

The pair quickly fell in love with the breed based on their temperament and consistency and began researching genetic traits and fertility along with enrolling in a low-stress stock handling course, run by renowned educator and producer Grahame Rees.

"What also really pushed us in the right direction, and got us to where we are now with the quality of beef that we're producing, is working with Gerald Wyatt from Classic Livestock Management," Mr McWilliam said.

"I'm not the type of person to take something on by halves."

Mrs McWilliam said most people in the industry are often surprised to hear the couple had only been farming for such a short time.

"The knowledge Stuart has gained from what he has surrounded himself with, and what he has read and listened to, is astounding."

With a newfound respect for the industry, the McWilliam family have spent the past three years breeding quick-finishing, high-yielding Speckle Park beef from their small herd.

"Everything we do is grass-fed and finished and we're breeding animals now, flat on the bone, for tenderness.

"I wouldn't say we've mastered it but, from the animals that we first started processing to what we're doing now, it's leaps and bounds," Mr McWilliam said.

Quick learners and fearless in the face of adversity, the couple soon realised the outlay for processing their beef far outweighed that of opening their own shop.

"It just made sense to do it in-house rather than pay a third-party butcher to do your processing for you," Mr McWilliam said.

Currently processing steers from JAD Speckle Park genetics, premium cuts are placed in the butcher shop window and also divided up across home delivery boxes.

These are then sold within a 200km radius of their farm, reducing transport time and overall environmental impact.

"Every animal is classed using the Classic Livestock Management classing system and anything from three and a half, down to a two in that bracket, ends up in our premium beef supply," Mr McWilliam said.

Animals that don't make the cut are either sold locally at the saleyards or processed for mince and sausages for the butcher.

Black Bird and Beast process based on supply and demand with about 150 classed steers, averaging 550kg, put through the butcher annually.

"We have repeat customers with the meat boxes, which are getting sent all over Sydney and the South Coast, and customers who come into the butcher shop who specify that they want the Speckle Park beef."

Mrs McWilliam said the butcher also prefers to work with Speckle Park carcases as they produce minimal wastage with secondary cuts also highly sought-after.

With sustainability at the heart of their farming ethos, the couple say they are proud to be producing high-quality, regenerative beef for local clients and look forward to what the future holds.