REGENERATIVE FARMING
Our non-selective grazing Galloways are robust and hardy, the heart and soul of sustainable and regenerative farming practices.
We raise our Galloway with meticulous care, ensuring their well-being is in harmony with our regenerative farming practices to produce happy Miniature and Full Size Galloways, and beef of the highest quality.
Our dedication to quality is woven into every aspect of our operations; we believe in practicing a holistic approach of sustainable and regenerative agriculture to produce Galloway miniatures and studs of the highest quality.
OUR PRACTICES
We also incorporate regenerative farming practices to nurture both our soil and pastures, ensuring the production of nutritious food for our healthy cattle and to enhance the quality of our exceptional grass-fed beef.
As part of our commitment to reducing the carbon miles of our beef produce, we exclusively supply "direct from the farmer". Here at Bollygum Farm, we are also strictly supply driven allowing our Galloway to mature naturally.
APARIES
The significance of bees extends far beyond the boundaries of Bollygum Farm; they are vital world wide.
Our bees enjoy a diverse habitat of local forests, Bollygum Farm, and a 17 acre silviculture paddock, abundant with both winter and summer flowering trees. This provides enough food for the bees all year round.
Our beekeeping focus is to allow our hives to grow in accordance with the surrounding environment and at Bollygum Farm, we proudly contribute to the well-being of bees by:
Planting nectar-bearing flowers.
Supporting local beekeepers by purchasing honey and other hive products from local beekeepers and businesses.
Raising awareness among children and adolescents on the importance of bees and express your support for beekeepers.
Establishing pollinator farms within our orchard, home gardens, and throughout the forest.
Preserving forests on the farm, which feature a diverse range of flowers and nectar-bearing plants.
Adopting a mindful approach to pasture maintenance.
Using bee-friendly fertilisers and applying them during windless weather, either early morning or late night when bees are less active on blossoms.
Apiaries kept on Bollygum Farm
DUNG BEETLES
Here in the South West of WA, 305,172 cattle annually produce a staggering 1.6 million tonnes of dung. As part of Bollygum Farm's commitment to regenerative farming, this abundance does not go to waste thanks to the remarkable efforts of dung beetles.
Dung beetles are industrious creatures that play a vital role in our farming ecosystem, recycling 80% of the nitrogen found in the dung back into the soil. This not only prevents nitrogen runoff into waterways, but also enhances soil productivity while retaining crucial nutrients within the farm.
We are working to ensure year round dung beetle activity through careful breeding initiatives that increase the diversity of beetle species, and aim to bridge the seasonal gap, particularly during the winter and spring months.
Incredibly, just 100 beetles have the potential to multiply into 1,000 within a single year. To facilitate this expansion, we have established beetle nurseries throughout Bollygum Farm where emerging beetle offspring are shielded from pests, are provided with nutritious dung, and subsequently released into the ecosystem.
We proudly collaborate with other farms within our Owingup Kent Growers Group, ensuring the widespread distribution of these invaluable creatures.
Benita with one of the dung beetle nurseries at Bollygum Farm
PASTURE MANAGEMENT
We are committed to providing high quality pastures to deliver grass fed and finished, healthy, disease free and happy galloway cattle. This commitments also extends to the love, care and work we put into our soil.
Our focus is to enrich the carbon in our soil, make our own fertilisers, generate beneficial microbes, incorporate humates, and brew teas and extracts that both enrich the organic matter and increate the fungal to bacteria ratio.
Through the microbes, we enable plants to access the existing nutrients already within the soil, reducing and eventually eliminating the reliance of chemical fertilisers.
We use a hands-on approach to meticulously and regularly analyse our soil, feed and plant test charts to ensure our farm practices are building healthy, loamy soil that encourages vibrant plant growth, healthy cows and premium beef.
We also direct drill a diverse range of pasture seeds into the ground to minimise disruption to the soil and fungi in our pastures. This diversity increases the root systems' ability to feed each other, break down soils naturally and provide a diverse range of nutrients for our cattle.
Furthermore, our cattle also receive trace elements of mineral to enhance their health and well-being. As they roam our pastures, they in turn spread these nutrients in the form of dung, a process that is assisted through our dung beetles, which ultimately enriches the soil and continuing the healthy cycle throughout our farm.
Photo of direct drill seeder in action and the soil behind it with minimal disturbance.
FENCING WATERWAYS & CREATING SHELTER BELTS
One of our first priorities upon arriving at Bollygum Farm was to safeguard our waterways from our cattle. It was important for us to prevent nutrient runoff going into the creek system and our dam water, as this is used to pump into a large tank to gravity feed troughs throughout the farm.
We also recognise the invaluable role birds play in maintaining the ecological balance within our pastures, and as such, we have embarked on a fencing initiative. By strategically designating areas to plant trees, we are both able to provide safe habitats for birds and shelter for our cattle.
Of particular concern is the black cockatoo which is currently facing extinction within our lifetime without intervention. In an attempt to make a difference for this species, Bollygum Farm has joined 80 other landholders who are committed to learning, implementing effective change and wanting to make a difference. By collaborating with ecologists, we have fenced remnant vegetation, infilled with cockatoo flora revegetation and installed next boxes that are monitored by BirdLife WA.
We are working to fence of forest that extends through Bollygum Farm to further enhance the conservation efforts being made within our region. Already, we have identified two black cockatoo sites on the property, and are hopeful for the installation of additional nest boxes as part of our collective endeavour.
We are committed to our environmental and regenerative practices, and will keep you posted of our progress!
Frog enjoying the clean and managed waterways
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