Locally Grown,
Ethical Butchery

First and foremost, we’re a family business, running true to our core values of morals, honesty, kindness and trust.

Named by our son, Reuben, when he was just 10 years old, Wholly Cow perfectly represents our ethos of “paddock-to-plate” farming and “tongue-to-tail” artisan butchery. Back then, we decided to turn our backs on farming beef and lamb for export, and move to a less intensive way of doing things – a more natural style of farming that not only protects the land, but improves it. We made the choice to focus on local and just six weeks later we were selling directly to customers at the farmers’ market. We no longer attend the Farmers markets, However still enjoy supporting fellow farmers/producers + Farmers markets were a great base to begin on this constantly evolving business. Our children all attended the markets every week which has given them valuable personable skills which will be credit to them in life. Our son Luke ,along with a fantastic team, manages Wholly Cow butchery with the day to day operations.

We have created this business from a strong dissatisfaction with how all our farmed meat was being on a linear system where the benefits were only ever financial. Over the years that followed we changed that and now are proud of our Independence + closed-loop system where all animals raised on our farm are hand-picked when they’re at their prime. Respected + show care throughout their life + death. As farmers/butchers we love animals and that is why it is of significant importance that care + respect is implemented in all aspects of life + death. We would rather take responsibility knowing that there was no trauma/suffering and zero waste utilising all of the animal.

Your Locally Grown, Ethical Butchery

Integrating Nature within a viable
& ethical farming system

Our 186 hectare piece of paradise is more like a park than a farm, with thousands of trees, three ponds, and lots of exotics and natives. We treat the farm as an entire eco system and use holistic land management practices to build healthy, nutrient-rich, resilient soil that is continually improving year on year, rather than being depleted. We are constantly implementing new ways of improving our practices and a excited on this regenerative journey. The soil is where the abundance of life is and the more we change our practices to nurture this life underneath the more abundant life on top will be. We are thankful for the foresight of previous owners who understood the importance of integrating trees + nature into the farming landscape and viewed this as being a rich resource vs a hurdle.

How we are changing our meat packaging.....

When we bought the butchers it was plastic clingfilm, polystyrene trays, plastic butcher bags.
Trays were wrapped in plastic, not happy with this scenario we have implemented changes.

These are:

+ Herb Infused Tallow Coated Paper Bags { Wholly Cow Original}
+ Compostable Sugar Pulp Meat Trays
+ Bio-cling film
+ Bring your own containers option
+ Tee - shirt carrier bags
+ Paper Carrier Bags or Cardboard Box
+ Re-using Newspaper to wrap pre packed meat.
+ The last piece of the packaging puzzle, Home compostable Vacuum Bags
+ Collection bins for paper, cardboard, trays to bring back to farm for composting. { Hot + Worms}

Find out more about our sustainability

Locally Grown, Ethical Butchery
farming with purpose

Our circular farming practice has allowed us to create our own liquid + 2 forms of compost.

Creating the on farm micro abattoir where all animals are humanely killed, reducing stress, washing down all equipment between each animal, spending time + care processing it. A True Artisan Butchery tradition, where you need great knife skills + knowledge.

We are in our first year of transforming the inedible offal {waste from abattoir} along with local horse stable waste, consisting of woodchips, horse manure, straw, to form "hot" compost beds where after it has finished composting will be a nutrient rich spread for the soils where life begins.

We have large scale worm beds who continuously convert the undigested grass from animals stomachs {paunch} cardboard boxes, paper waste, coffee cups {local café} into the most incredible rich resource.

This new learning and results are so very rewarding and reinforces the importance of a circular system where the loop all connects back to the land.

Farming with Purpose.

Our intentions are always about honesty, integrity + respect.