The Broad family have been consciously farming for a difference since they purchased Long Flat Farm in Bodalla on the NSW south coast in 2011.
Jo, Matt, their two daughters and son Lachie have 365 hectares, 300 dairy cows and 450 chickens, plus a commercial beef operation on the side.
Locally, they are best known for their eggs that embody their long-held dream of providing their local community with real honest food.
"We have taught our kids everything we know about locally sourced food and all the things that contribute to a healthy lifestyle," Mrs Broad said.
Lachie's Farm Fresh Eggs
Lachie, their youngest, started the egg business in 2017 after neighbours gave the 12-year-old 100 chickens.
"We thought it was a great place for Lachie to learn about farming so it wasn't just about production and he always had a motto of keeping things real," Mrs Broad said.
He checked on the hens before school and cleaned and packed the eggs after school.
"The hens were always on pasture, taking some from the cows, so there were some father/son arguments on that," she said.
The Black Summer bushfires wiped out the farm, mainly through smoke inhalation, and Lachie went to board at Yanco Agricultural High School so the business lay dormant for a year.
Back better than before
On Lachie's insistence and local demand for the eggs, they bought 250 new hens and are now back in full production.
Meanwhile the farm had transitioned to organic status.
Their chickens are not fully organic because they don't have the infrastructure to hatch out their own birds but they are 100 per cent cared for and fed organic pasture and organic supplements.
The other factor making the eggs so popular is their freshness, meaning the white is firm, which really makes a difference when having eggs for breakfast.
"Our eggs are always fresh from the nest and delivered within a day of being laid," Mrs Broad said.
Doing dairy differently
The basis of the Broad's farm is dairy, supplying liquid milk to Saputo in Sydney.
They have moved from synthetic fertilisers to maximising production and health through macro fertilisers and trace elements to give the soil what it needs.
By feeding those microorganisms they achieve healthier soil and therefore the pasture and animal health is also improved.
Unlike many farmers they are not worried about succession.
"Our daughter is studying for her diploma in agriculture and has the passion to keep the farm alive while Lachie is doing his HSC and I am fairly confident he will be back as soon as he can," Mrs Broad said.
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