THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
When we say that Waratah Farm is part of the ‘circular economy’ it’s not a trivial boast. Rather, it is a strong philosophy that guides almost every aspect of our business. It is not just about stewardship of the land and care for our animals, it is about farming in a way that is sustainable for the environment, our people and the business. Meaning, wherever possible, the ‘outcome’ of what we do is considered in relation to our wider farming practices. In a circular economy, everything that can be put to use is put to use, rather than discarded to end up as waste or pollution.
Here are some current examples:
We make compost and vermicast from manures and animal bedding, augmented with waste materials from the dairy, meat processing, honey and food manufacturing industries
We harvest and store stormwater to ease any seasonal water deficit
Use of Effective Microorganism (EM) technology and probiotics to improve animal health while reducing the need for antibiotic use
No in-feed medicines
We look on our animals’ long tails as a measure of success, as our animals are raised without the need for the invasive practice of tail docking
By reusing or repurposing the wooden and plastic pallets that come to our feedmill we ensure they always manage to ‘go another round’
Our market development focuses on new pork products and packaging that extends its value and market reach. Just like our forefathers used to proudly say, “the only thing we don’t use is the squeal.”
And we won’t we won’t stop there as we keep looking for ways to deliver on our commitment to sustainability.