Gundooee Organic Wagyu Beef
Farm: Gundooee Organic Wagyu, Rob Lennon
Product: Organic Wagyu beef
Location: Leadville, NSW
Farming: certified organic, certified Wagyu, pasture-raised, regenerative, chemical-free, medication-free, non-GMO
Relationship: Whole bird monthly deliveries since 2008
20 years ago, Rob was the first organic Wagyu beef farmer in Australia. We've been working together since 2008, two years after Feather and Bone began in 2006 and, as Rob says, we've grown up together.
Genetics
Gundooee Wagyu Beef is all ‘second cross ‘Wagyu, which means they are bred from full blood Wagyu bulls and ‘first cross’ cows which are 50% Wagyu and 50% Angus. So, the product we sell is 75% full blood Wagyu and 25% Angus.
Land management
Rob also says, ‘I’m a microbe farmer. I don’t grow beef, I grow soil.’ This is because the health of a grazing animal and therefore the quality of the meat is entirely dependent on the health and quality of the soil. Rob has been certified organic for 20 years and he is passionate about ensuring that every living thing on his farm has the opportunity to reach its genetic potential, from soil microbes and insects, through to his beautiful Wagyu cattle. The more he can promote dynamic, natural exchanges in his landscape, the more fertility and resilience he’ll see on the farm.
Animal husbandry
Rob rotationally grazes his cattle, moving them to fresh pastures every six days or so. This ensures no part of the farm is over-grazed and has time to recover, it ensures distribution of the manure which composts into the soil and it gives the cattle fresh, diverse feed stock.
Diet
Rob’s cattle graze freely selecting from a diverse mix of up to 70 different perennials - predominantly native, deep-rooting plants that grow naturally across Gundooee. In winter, when the growth of perennial grasses slow and some species go dormant, Rob sows a green oat crop into the existing native pastures to provide supplementary feed until spring arrives.
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