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Saltbush Livestock

Flyer - SA Food Centre: Helping grow Saltbush Livestock (pdf, 140kb)

A prime cut of South Australia

Spear CreekA South Australian regional farming business is quickly establishing itself as a quality supplier of prime lamb meat.

Saltbush Livestock began in 1997, as one of the first White Dorper studs in Australia. The stud is located at Spear Creek Station on the edge of the Flinders Ranges at Port Augusta. The lambs are finished open-range, on saltbush, and are not mulesed or tailed, leading to a low-stress production process. Dorper lambs do not grow wool, so no chemicals are used for fly or lice control.

Saltbush Livestock uses low stress animal husbandry practices to provide a high quality chemical free product - and it is making a big impression with consumers.

The branded lamb concept began as an idea after sheep producers Jamie McTaggart and Scott Herde undertook a regional food program delivered by the South Australian Food Centre.

The program - incorporating a range of marketing, mentoring and brand development topics - helped Jamie and Scott build the framework to develop their Spear Creek Dorper Lamb business.

“Prior to the SA Food Centre’s program, we had lots of pre-conceived ideas on how to grow. We had big dreams of building our own boning and packaging facilities to sell our lamb. The program helped us really focus on what we do best and crystallised our ideas. We finally decided that building the brand Spear Creek Dorper Lamb is the key to growing our business to become profitable and sustainable,” Jamie said.

The high quality lamb can attract premiums of 10 to 15 per cent above average market prices. Around 1000 lambs are delivered to restaurants and gourmet butchers in Adelaide each month. The business is constantly refining its quality and distribution systems, before considering any export opportunities.

“We were confident we had a good product with the genetics and animal husbandry practices; we just needed to work out the best way to supply it to the market, our distribution channels and how to develop relationships.”

Jamie said the SA Food Centre and Industry Development Officer (IDO) Linda Kwok has been very supportive with advice and referral to key industry bodies to help build the brand Spear Creek Dorper Lamb.

“Jamie and Scott are very committed in their goals to success. Despite having to drive weekly to Adelaide to service their distributors, they find the time to ensure their products are of the best quality. They listen to customers’ comments and take immediate action. They are always eager to listen and learn and were recently involved in other programs delivered by the SA Food Centre to master techniques in business planning and had hands-on coaching to manage sales and distribution channels,” Linda Kwok, IDO said.

“We get calls from distributors and interested parties about our Spear Creek Dorper Lamb every time the SA Food Centre features our business in their publications such as Food Talk or Food-e-News. We were recently featured in the Meat Livestock Journal,” said Scott.

“We now supply Richard Gunner Fine Meats with our lambs and hope to service some interstate markets in the near future.”

Jamie says the business was able to use the services of the SA Food Centre, despite the geographical distance. Programs are delivered to most South Australian regional areas in addition to those based at the SA Food Centre Regency Park facility.

“We travel to Adelaide weekly and call in to the SA Food Centre if need be,” said Scott.

“We use the SA Food Centre as a sounding board. Our Spear Creek Dorper Lamb brand has really given us a strong platform for future growth,” Jamie said.

“Over the last 12 months, we have experienced 100 per cent growth, and continue to look at new ways to build on our brand.”
 
Spear Creek Dorper Lamb is available at FEAST retail outlets, Aldgate Village Meats, Gully Meats and Wychwood Meat to name a few. It is also available at several hotels such as Hackney Hotel, Lion Hotel, Kings Head and the Grange Golf Club.

For more information visit www.spearcreekdorperlamb.com.au