Zac and Alana Jeffries wanted to raise beef cattle on their Narrawong farm, 20 kilometres north-east of Portland on Victoria’s far west coast, but the husband and wife ended up raising chickens for eggs. “You need a lot of acreage and to own it outright to be a cattle farmer,” says Zac. “We have just 32 hectares and a mortgage.”
The former teacher saw a gap in the local market for high-quality fresh eggs and went to work changing over the fencing to electric mesh suitable for keeping three flocks of 1,500 hyline chickens safe. Protected from foxes by a pair of Maremma dogs, the chickens are free to graze on pasture, which makes up 20 per cent of their diet.
The rest of their feed is a carefully selected mix of seasonal grains blended by a friend of Zac’s who has a PhD in poultry dietetics. Providore Farm is a multi-species venture where the pastures enriched by the poultry manure will be later grazed by small herds of Angus beef cattle and sheep. “That different grazing pressure mimics natural systems and leads to more soil biodiversity and fertility,” says Zac.
Their hens produce around 3,500 eggs a day, depending on the time of year. The eggs are washed, graded, packed, and distributed around Victoria’s south-west.
“We meet with our chefs every week and receive direct feedback so we can tweak things on the farm if necessary,” says Zac. Providore Farm’s eggs are known for their silky yolks and firm whites and are proudly served in restaurants and cafes from Hamilton to Port Fairy. They are also available from independent retailers and directly from the farm gate in Narrawong.
Head to providorefarm.com.au for more.