Natures way the only way for meat producer

REX Williams, the owner of Kelty Farm, is passionate about producing high-quality certified organic meat that caters to a growing demand for healthier and more sustainable food choices. 

Operated by Rex with the help of his son, Royce, Kelty Farm runs Black Angus cattle and Wessex Saddleback pigs in the Huon Valley, both of which are raised in strictly organic conditions that prioritise animal welfare and environmental sustainability. 

Kelty Farm consists of 35ha in Woodbridge and another 80ha of leased land nearby. 

Across their organic pastures they run about 100 Black Angus cattle as well as a small herd of Wessex Saddleback pigs which are born and raised in a free range system, fed on organic grain, potatoes, dairy and the apples from their orchard. 

Mr Williams purchased the farm 26 years ago when it was still partly an apple orchard. Initially, the family continued to run the orchard alongside their cattle operation, but as time went on, they realised that their apple business was in decline, so Mr Williams made the decision to focus on their meat business. 

“Kelty Farm has been run as certified organic since the beginning,” Mr Williams said. He said the aim was to produce animals each week, with a year-round program of breeding and fattening their own stock. 

To help ensure this, Mr Williams runs his cattle in two herds that calve at different times – in spring and in winter. 

Upon starting 26 years ago, Mr Willliams said there was no organic meat market in Tasmania. 

“There just wasn’t any available and there was nowhere to sell organic stock where it would receive a premium so we kind of established that market ourselves and have been working on that ever since,” he said. 

“That is basically 95 per cent of our income now.” 

Today, the farm is able to supply all of their own cattle to the market, a shift from the early days when they had to rely on other growers for enough livestock. Mr Williams said he sees this as a critical step in securing the farm’s future. 

For Mr Williams, being certified organic has both philosophical and market advantages. 

“We didn’t want to grow food that relied on chemicals to be presentable, we just wanted a sustainable way of farming that didn’t need that kind of input for everyone’s health.” Despite Kelty Farm’s success, the farm is not without its challenges. 

One of the most serious challenges has been the closures of the Cradoc Abattoir, Huon Valley’s only meat processing plant. 

The facility has faced a series of closures in recent years, leaving local farmers with limited processing options. This year the abattoir temporarily closed for six months creating a huge disruption for the farm. 

“We really had no other option but to stop and hang on and wait until they reopened— it was a very stressful time and we’re not quite out of the woods yet,” Mr Williams said. 

"At that time, we didn’t process any meat, and there wasn’t another certified organic option for us, certainly not in southern Tasmania that could do small service kills,” he said. 

Mr Williams is now a part of a group of small meat producers called the Southern Tasmanian Association of Meat Producers (STAMP), which was formed last year in response to the ongoing struggles for meat processing in the area. 

The group has around 25 members that are actively working to find a solution to the region’s processing challenges and raising awareness about the need for more options for small-scale producers.

 “I think STAMP’s long-term aims are really laudable. We’re looking at the long-term picture, two or three years down the track where the service kill industry will be more grower-focused and easier for people to use, so that’s what we’re putting our effort into now,” he said. 

“We’ve got limited influence on the outcome of the abattoir. Unless it keeps operating on a regular, continual basis, which is what my business demands, our business is vulnerable.” 

Running the farm, Mr Williams is committed to farming in a way that works with nature rather than against it.

By avoiding the use of synthetic fertilisers on his pastures he ensures the land is healthy and productive without the need for artificial inputs. “After all this time, we’ve come to recognise the regenerative capacity of the place without inputs,” Mr Williams said.

 “It’s about what we don’t do rather than what we do. We don’t use synthetic fertilisers.”

“There’s plenty of plant variety in our pastures, which are essential for stock health. “We’re not eliminating other species; we allow them to thrive.” 

Mr Williams pointed out that while they may not produce as much beef as conventional farms, they run with far fewer inputs, ensuring that their operation remains both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. 

“I suppose it’s taking a step backwards from thinking that to get more out of this place we need to put more in, but we’ve got plenty going in already from mother nature, all the nutrients are there, it comes down to not expecting more than she can deliver.” 

Looking ahead, Mr Williams is focused on securing a more stable future for the farm by addressing the ongoing issues with meat processing and expanding the farm’s offerings.

“We’ve pretty much got the cattle herd where we want it, so we’ll probably increase pork production a little bit for more Christmas hams next year,” he said. 

He is also interested in moving into producing organic lamb in the near future. Before Christmas, Kelty Farm was at the Farm Gate Christmas market in Hobart offering their organically made Christmas puddings. 

“The Farm gate market is very rewarding, even though we only go in December its really nice to get a bit of feedback on our products and the meat.” 

As Mr Williams reflects on the past year, he hopes that consumers appreciate the true value of the meat they purchase from Kelty Farm. 

“I hope people have an appreciation that the meat is a result of mother nature and that they understand what goes into producing it.” 

“If it’s not certified, it’s not organic.”