How We Farm
Frequently asked questions on how we run our animals, how we managed our land and how our products are processed.
What hens do you run?
We run SBA's Hyline Brown chickens which are a cross between a Rhode Island Red and a Rhode Island White making the ultimate egg layer.
Where can I get your eggs?
You can find an up-to-date list of our stockists here.
What do your hens live in?
Our chickens live in specially designed houses that are moved throughout the paddock, ensuring that our chooks always have access to fresh feed for them to scratch, forage and run through.
What do your hens eat?
Our chickens are fed a GMO-free pellet mix as a staple part of their diet, along with whatever other goodies they find in their paddock.
How often are your hens moved?
Our chickens get moved three times a week, every week, to a new spot of pasture, ensuring they always have access to fresh pasture.
What breed of pigs do you run?
We run Large White X, Duroc X and Berkshire X sows with our Berkshire boar to produce all our yummy pork.
What are your pigs fed?
Our piggies are fed a grain pellet mix and whatever other goodies they lay their eyes upon in the field while out foraging.
How often do your pigs get moved?
The moving of our pigs depends on the time of year and weather. Over the winter months, the pigs are generally moved fortnightly and, over the summer months, weekly.
What breed of cattle do you raise?
We run a mix of breeds; our current intention is to breed a composite animal ideally suited to the environment we find ourselves in. These animals will be designed to;
- Handle the subtropical conditions of south-east Queensland
- Have a strong resistance to external parasites like ticks and buffalo flies
- Have a moderate frame size more designed for grass-fed and finished operations
- Be low maintenance with the ability to maintain good body condition, no matter the feed quality
- Most importantly, produce good quality, tasty beef for our customers
The breeds we are currently running include;
- Nguni
- Boran
- Angus
And mixes of those with smaller percentages of Brahman and Droughtmaster, which are breeds that were part of the original herd and that we are moving away from.
Do you use vaccines or drenches on your cattle?
No, none of the cattle on our farm are vaccinated or drenched. Our management and selection of the correct cattle for our environment keep our animals' health in check.
Our grazing land management ensures that paddocks receive adequate recovery time after grazing, improving their quality, increasing their diversity and ensuring the pasture meets the needs of our animals.
Are you chickens given and antibiotics or vaccines?
No, our broilers are not vaccinated or given antibiotics, hormones or steroids.
Are your animals ever given any hormones, growth promotants or steroids?
No, none of our animals are ever given products like that. That does not align with our values.
We believe that by creating a healthy, functioning landscape, our animals will be a mirror of that environment.
What is your stance on mRNA vaccines in livestock?
No, we don't use mRNA on our livestock and have no intention of using such a product, as it does not align with our values.
Currently, no mRNA vaccines are available or approved for the livestock industry in Australia.
What do your animals eat?
Each of our animals has different diets explicitly designed for them.
Our cattle are 100% grass-fed and finished. They are not supplemented with grains. Their diet comprises the diverse pasture species we built on the farm, including grasses, legumes, forbs, and herbs.
Our pigs are fed a grain pellet ration along with what they forage in the paddock, which gives them access to the same pasture mix as the cattle.
Our layers are fed a grain pellet ration along with what they forage in the paddock, which gives them access to the same pasture mix as the cattle.
Our broilers are fed a grain pellet ration along with what they forage in the paddock, which gives them access to the same pasture mix as the cattle.
How often are your animals moved?
At Forage Farms, we practice time-controlled grazing, which focuses on managing the plants growing in the paddock first and foremost and allowing adequate time for recovery before the animals return to a paddock. This ensures we are always looking after our landscape and progressing it forwards.
Each species is managed slightly differently, and seasons will alter our moving times. In general we move the animals as follows;
- Our layers are moved three times a week
- Our cattle are moved daily
- Our pigs are moved fortnightly in non-growing season and weekly in the growing season
- Our broilers are moved daily
What is pasture raised?
Pasture-raised is a way of managing animals out in the paddock, ensuring they always have access to fresh pasture and are being regularly moved. In this blog, you can read more about pasture-raised means at Forage Farms.
What is Natural Sequence Farming?
Natural Sequence Farming (NSF) is a system of ecosystem restoration based on understanding natural patterns and processes and implementing management practices to regenerate the natural function of a landscape.
You can learn more about NSF and its use at Forage Farms here.
What is Regenerative Farming?
Our family has been committed to regenerative farming for three generations. To us, it is about building the landscape, increasing natural capital, and restoring the natural patterns and processes on our farm. It is about working with the landscape, not against it. You can learn more about what it means to us in this blog.
Do you use any chemicals or artificial fertilisers on your farm?
No, we don't use chemicals or artificial fertilisers on our farm. That does not align with our values or our land management practices.
Do you grow or use genetically modified products?
No, we do not use GMOs.
Orders, Shipping and Tracking
Frequently asked questions about our ordering process
Where do you deliver?
We deliver across southeast Queensland and some parts of Northern NSW.
You can check whether we deliver to your postcode here.
How does delivery work?
1. Place Your Order
Please browse through our store, select some of our delicious produce, add it to your cart, and start the checkout process.
If you need any assistance along the way, please hit the chat box icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, and we'll be happy to help you out.
2. We Prepare It
Once you choose a box, your order is received and prepared at our family farm.
3. Delivered To Your Door
Once prepared, your order will be delivered to your door by either the Forage Farms team or our couriers.
The day your delivery arrives will be determined by your location. You can find the day of delivery for your area here.
All our boxes are frozen with sufficient insulation; if you aren't able to be home for the delivery, they will be fine sitting in the shade until you return.
What day does my delivery arrive?
Below is a list with our delivery areas and their respective delivery days. Please note that we use a courier service for most of our deliveries, so there can be adjustments to these days depending on their schedule. You will receive a text from the courier the night before delivery with delivery details and an ETA.
Brisbane
Wednesday/Thursday
Ipswich
Wednesday/Thursday
Logan
Wednesday/Thursday
Redland
Wednesday/Thursday
Moreton Bay
Wednesday/Thursday
Gold Coast
Thursday/Friday
Gold Coast Hinterland
Thursday/Friday
Sunshine Coast
Thursday/Friday
Sunshine Coast Hinterland
Tuesday
Gympie
Thursday/Friday
Darling Downs
Wednesday
Tweed
Thursday/Friday
Do you offer farm pickup?
Yes, farm pickup is an available delivery option that you can select at checkout.
Once the order is received, we will put it together and send out a notification with contact details that it is ready for pickup to arrange a pickup date and time with our team.
How much does shipping cost?
For orders less than $100, shipping will be $20, orders between $100 and $300 will be $10 and orders over $300 will be free.
Do you offer free shipping?
Yes, we offer free shipping for orders over $300.
How are your meat boxes shipped?
A refrigerated courier delivers our meat boxes. We use biodegradable, environmentally friendly Woolcool liners to ensure the product stays cold if you aren't home to receive the order immediately.
What is your shipping policy?
For orders less than $100 shipping will be $20, orders between $100 and $300 will be $10 and orders over $300 will be free.
Deliveries will be dispatched from Forage Farms within 7 working days of order and payment processing. Orders will be delivered with a Refrigerated Courier or Australia Post. Please include your phone number and arrange for someone to be available for accepting the delivery. We send out an order is fulfilled notice once the order leaves the farm, you will receive a tracking number from the delivery service. Orders close at 5 pm Monday and leave the farm on Tuesdays, any orders received after 5 pm Monday are sent the following week unless otherwise notified. In the event of an order going missing in transit, goods being destroyed or damaged we will endeavour to find and replace your order if necessary.
Deliveries cannot be made to PO boxes or anywhere outside of Australia. In the instance that the recipient has provided incorrect or out-of-date details, Forage Farms is not liable for incorrect or unclaimed delivery.
We process all orders immediately. If you placed an order in error or would like to cancel your order, you have until Tuesday at 8 am. Any cancellation requests after 9 am will not be processed, and your order will be shipped out. Thank you for your cooperation.
How do I cancel my order?
If you want to cancel an order, please contact the team, and we will assist you with the process.
I’m going to be away, how can I adjust my delivery date?
That's fine if you're going to be away. Just reach out to the team and let us know, and we'll update your delivery date for when you return.
How do I cancel my order?
If you want to cancel an order, please contact the team, and we will assist you with the process.
How do I make a return?
If you have any questions or concerns about your order, please get in touch with us at info@foragefarms.com.au, and we’ll be happy to help you. Since our products are perishable goods, it is not feasible to make returns; if you received a product by mistake, a product that is damaged, or a product that is spoiled due to packing error or delayed shipment, please get in touch with us, and we will make it right for you. If you accidentally ordered a product and received that product, we, unfortunately, cannot offer a refund for the product you received.
Product Processing
How we process our meat
Are your sausages gluten free, and do they contain preservatives?
All our sausages are gluten-free and contain no preservatives, fillers or other rubbish.
They're made of meat and the respective spices and seasonings for each flavour.
What it's in your smoked products?
All our Smoked Ham and Bacon products are artificial nitrate and gluten-free. They are cured using beetroot extract, a natural nitrate source.
The ingredients of our cure are;
salt, sugar, mineral salts, antioxidants and beetroot powder
How is the meat packed?
All our meat is packed into cryovac (vacuum-packed) packaging to maintain quality.
All of our products are packed into portions that suit various households. The specific sizes are listed on our products, or if you have a query about a particular product, please reach out.
Why is everything frozen?
We know that fresh food straight from the paddock to plate is important to you. As a small business, we are busy breeding, growing, and processing to keep up with demand. Freezing our meat is the solution to ensuring we are as efficient as possible and that our product gets to your door in the best shape it can be.
Frozen meat also preserves the freshness of the meat and allows it to last you a long time.
This also enables us to provide the highest quality meat more affordably and cost-effectively while helping us maintain inventory for a more extended period.
How long do frozen products last in the freezer?
Our products all have a best-before date, and I can assure you that we have eaten frozen products that were still fine long after that date.
The only variable that will change the best-before date is if the bag loses its seal and lets air in, after which it will not last as long.
What is the best method for defrosting meat?
The best method for defrosting your meat is in the fridge. If you have left it a bit late the next best option is to place your cryovac bag in a sink filled with tap water. Every half an hour, drain the water and refresh with new water until your meat is defrosted.
Can I thaw out meat and re-freeze it?
We’ve all put meat out to defrost for dinner and had the meal planning de-railed by an unforeseen event or an impromptu invitation. Many of us have come to believe that defrosted meat cannot be re-frozen. From a safety point of view, the Food Safety Information Council say it is fine to refreeze defrosted meat or chicken, or any frozen food if it was defrosted in a fridge running at 5°C or below.
How old are the animals when your process them?
Beef Cattle - 24 - 36 months of age
Pigs - 5 - 6 months of age
Chickens - 6 - 8 weeks of age
Is your beef aged at all?
No, we don't currently age our beef. It is usually cut and bagged within 3 - 12 days of processing.
Does freezing the meat affect the nutritional density of it?
No, freezing does not impact the nutritional density of the beef.
Payments & Refunds
How payments and refunds work
What payments options do you have?
We offer payment via;
- Credit Card
- Afterpay
Do you have payment plans available?
Yes, we offer Afterpay at checkout as a payment option, allowing you to split your order into multiple payments using their service.
How do I apply gift cards?
Your gift card code can be added in the "discount code or gift card" field at checkout.
If the order's value exceeds the gift card, you will be asked to provide an additional payment method to complete the order.
How do I apply promo/discount codes?
To apply a promo or discount code:
• Proceed to checkout and enter your code in the ['Discount Code'] field.
• Click ['Apply'] to see your new total before finalizing your order.
• Only one code can be used per order.
If you’re having trouble entering your promo code, please try clearing the cache on your web browser or trying on a different device.
Visiting the Farm
Would you like to see how we produce our food?
Where is Forage Farms?
We're located in the Mary Valley just north of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
The farm address is 87 Mullaly Road, Kybong, QLD 4570
Can I visit the farm?
The farm is a busy place, and because of that, we don't currently have it open for tours all the time. We run farm tours throughout the year, or if you're after something in particular please get in touch with the team and see what we can organise.
Do you run farm tours?
Yes, we run farm tours throughout the year. To see if any are open for booking, check here or join our mailing list to be notified when dates are announced.
What happens on a farm tour?
A farm tour involves a walk around the property. You'll see all the farm's enterprises, how they operate, and what makes Forage Farms tick.
The tour typically takes around 2 hours.
You'll learn about:
- What makes Forage Farms different from most farms
- What Pasture Raised means and how it is different from other systems
- What Regenerative Farming means to us at Forage Farms and how that changes the way we farm
Do you offer farm tours for private groups?
Yes, we can organise tours for private groups. Please get in touch with us via our contact form.
Do you offer farm tours for school groups?
Yes, we can organise tours for school groups. Please get in touch with us via our contact form.
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Contact Us
Any questions unanswered?
Send us a message, and we'd be happy to answer them.

