Ngiyaani Lowlines, Gunnedah

Sarah Ferguson and Peter Long describe themselves as 'regenerative agriculture soil nurturers, grass growers and cattle graziers' on a small, 629 acre farm called Ngiyaani, (pronounced Nee-arnie) near Gunnedah in NSW.

When they purchased the property in 2007, local scientists described it as 'the most degraded piece of farmland in the Namoi Valley', a daunting diagnosis for any farmer. But over the last 17 years Sarah and Peter have slowly and painstakingly nursed the land back to health, resulting in the healthy, chemical-free, diverse, grassland ecosystem that now hosts their Big Little Lowline Stud business.

Australian Lowlines are descended directly from original Aberdeen Angus cattle imported to Australia to provide high quality beef genetics for improvement and production. Noted for their temperament, fertility, and compact, efficient carcases, Lowlines are around two thirds the size of Angus and so, as Sarah puts it, 'tread a little more softly upon the earth'.

In order to contain herd numbers and maintain the delicate balance between beneficial grazing and soil and pasture health, Sarah and Peter approached us last year, looking for an appreciative home for their three to four year old Lowlines and we've been so happy to have them.

This is our fourth delivery from Ngiyaani and these two steers, both 46 months old, are over twice as old as the conventional yearling beef you'll find in most butchers. The carcasses are great quality, very healthy, gently marbled and yielding smaller-sized cuts as you'd expect from smaller cattle.