Cooreel Angus, Dungog

Janne Ryan grew up on Cooreel, her family's 350 hectare farm on the Williams River, just outside the small town of Dungog, down the valley from the Barrington Tops, before leaving to pursue a distinguished and varied journalism career in Sydney, which is where we first met her.

In 2002, Janne and her sister took over the farm ownership (from their father), continuing the regenerative direction he began with some success. In 2023, they won an MLA taste award for being in the top 100 producers nationwide.

In addition to beef quality, evidence of abundant insect life, like grass spiders, is a great indicator of soil and ecosystem health, as well as being very picturesque in the morning light!

The Ryans purchase young cattle from selected local breeders and fatten them on pasture until they're ready for market at around two years old. All cattle are grass-fed, and antibiotic and hormone-free from birth and no chemical sprays or poisons are deployed on the farm.

Cattle numbers are between 250-300 cattle, depending on the carrying condition of the pastures. In good growing seasons, the pastures can tolerate more grazing, in lesser seasons, the herd is reduced to maintain soil and pasture health.

The herd are constantly moved across the property, giving cattle permanent access to fresh grass shoots, a process that also activates grass growth by allowing light into the soil, giving seeds (particularly indigenous grasses) more opportunities to germinate. Importantly, the growing process - of all grasses and trees - draws carbon down into the soil. This is the transformative moment.

The Ryans are in the process of planting 20 hectares of trees, a big, ambitious project that continues over time.