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The paddock to plate movement is nothing new, but one WA farm is taking it to a new level by producing, butchering and dishing up its own lamb.
Key points:
- The new shop is expected to value-add to the farm business and double income
- A catering business will continue with a kitchen space at the back of the shop
- It is hoped the business will be able to offer processing services to other farmers in the future
For the past five years, a Denmark farming duo based in WA's Great Southern has added value to their property through catering, making curries from their lamb and other local produce.
Getting animals processed for consumption is a lengthy process, so farmers Malcolm Batt and Samadhi Ami are skipping the queue and opening their own butcher shop this month.
"We've had trouble with butchers having a lack of labour, so we can't get our produce or our lambs processed, so we had no alternative to open a business," Mr Batt said.
About 43 years ago, Mr Batt operated as a butcher before enjoying farming life, so it is no surprise he is excited by the opportunity to marry his two worlds together.
"It feels really good. I think that's one piece of the puzzle that I never got to achieve, to have my own shop," he said.
"I think it would almost double my turnover."
Catering continues
At the back of the new butcher shop will be a kitchen space for Ms Ami to continue her catering work.
Her curries have become popular in the Denmark community and have boosted profit margins for the pair.
"It really does help with value-adding on our produce all the way down the line, the vegetables that we grow as well as the meat we're producing," Ms Ami said.
"The response I get from people is amazing and very fortifying because also as a farmer you don't get a lot of direct feedback."
Without the catering front, it would have been hard for the pair to ride out the more challenging years.
"It gives us a margin that we can kind of rely on that's more stable, if we are subject to all the other influences in the market," Ms Ami said.
"We're really vulnerable, we're just too small."
Business prospects are good
The new butcher shop is set to open this month and will only process the couple's own lambs to start.
"But we'll also be looking forward to doing business with other farmers in the district," Mr Batt said.
"It's all about Denmark's produce, and I don't think it's been done before, not in Denmark anyway."
Ms Ami said the timing was perfect to embark on the new business venture.
"We really kind of knew that eventually, we would have to take control of the cutting up and packing ourselves," she said.
"Fortunately, we have the skill base for that, we just needed the space."