Welcome back to “Take 10” which we are reviving so we can showcase some of the amazing people in our community. First up we have Anthea Brown, the farmer behind Baillee Farm (previously Macabee Dorper Lamb) in Northam and owner of The Meat Hook butchery in Toodyay.
I am… Anthea Brown a proud Wheatbelt Farmer.
I spend my days… on the 880 hectares of Baillee Farm in the Avon Valley where we raise Dorpers, Black Angus, and Boer Goats.
Home is… Egoline Homestead 5km from the farm.
I have lived in the Wheatbelt… I was born in Bruce Rock. The family left in 1981 and moved to the city. Dad still had farming interests in the Mid West and Wheatbelt and in 2004 we moved to Baillee Farm.
My favourite thing about the Wheatbelt is… the natural beauty of the region, amazing sunrises and sunsets; golden hues of the landscape in summer and the lush green paddocks in winter
A big issue facing the Wheatbelt is… dwindling population – towns populations are reducing; shops close; there are no job opportunities especially for the youth; sporting club and community group memberships suffer; town and shire suffers – generally things like road maintenance is no longer a priority. A spiral downwards, this is something that as a community we can be aware of and make a positive impact to change.
One thing I find hard about living in the Wheatbelt is… I think I am pretty fortunate to live where I do – Northam has most facilities I need i.e. banking, medical facilities, and the city is only a short 90kms away. I could do without the extreme heat and the flies!
I am passionate about… harmonious farming that is producing ethically raised, nutritious and delicious produce. Produce with minimal use of synthetic inputs.
Baillee Farm is… a champion of pastured meats – Dorper, Angus Beef, and Boer Goat. We are not only about producing delicious and nutritious food but we like to educate customers about where their produce comes from and how it is produced, and what cuts to eat and promoting no-waste eating.
In the future, I hope… to be able to bring more people to the farm to see what we do and why we do it. To interact more with the younger generations so that they understand where their food comes from – that there is more than just Uber Food!
An interesting fact about Anthea… is that she left the farm to train and practice as a lawyer but the farm drew her back because as she tells it “it’s in the blood”.
A big thanks to Anthea for sharing a bit about her life with us. You can find Anthea and The Meat Hook in Stirling Terrace Toodyay or at Subiaco Farmer’s Market every Saturday. You can see a bit more about Anthea’s life on the farm here.
* Photos courtesy of The Weekly Times