The Bundarra Farming for Good producer received the prestigious title at the national awards ceremony on Tuesday, August 4, recognising her commitment to regenerative agriculture, ethical food production and her local community.
Now in its 21st year, the awards celebrate Australia’s leading producers and the quality produce they supply to chefs, restaurants and hospitality venues across the country.
Ms Stevens said the award meant a great deal after years of hard work establishing an integrated paddock-to-plate business in a regional area, which came with significant costs and risks.
“It means a lot because it’s been a really hard slog what we’ve done,” she said.
“I didn’t really think that anyone was really taking notice, and then to get that recognition was incredible.”
Ms Stevens’ connection to farming began during childhood, growing up on a cattle, sheep and cropping property and spending much of her time in the paddock with her father.
After working as a veterinary nurse and later in environmental management, she returned to agriculture with an increasing focus on sustainability. She is now studying environmental science and natural resource management.
“It’s definitely part of who I am, and I’ve become more of an environmentalist than a farmer,” she said.
That environmental focus has become central to Bundarra Farm, where regenerative practices are used to improve soil health and biodiversity.
The farm uses multi-species cover crops, rotates animals and gives paddocks longer periods to recover, while avoiding chemicals, sprays, fertilisers and ploughing.
Animal welfare is also a priority, with the farm producing pork, beef, eggs and chicken with an emphasis on quality and flavour.
“I think what sets us apart is that we’re not breeding for efficiency or yield,” Ms Stevens said.
“We’re breeding and growing animals for flavour and creating products that chefs and people at home enjoy. That’s really what keeps the drive going.”
That approach led Bundarra Farm to develop a new chicken for its flavour, which ultimately helped bring its work to the attention of the awards.
After offering the chicken to an existing customer to try, the customer was impressed and nominated the farm for the Delicious Harvey Norman Produce Awards.
The national recognition is a significant contrast to the day-to-day realities of running the operation, with only two people working on the farm and a small butchery team supporting the wider business.
Limited capital, high overheads and the demands of managing the farm alongside processing and distribution have also made growth challenging.
“It’s kind of at the point now where, to take the business to where it needs to go, I need people to help me get to the level where it’s sustainable to run, because I’m burnt out,” Ms Stevens said.
“I’ve done the hard yards over the years and have sacrificed a lot personally.”
Despite those challenges, one of her proudest achievements is not the national award, but the transformation of the property itself.
Protected water habitats and increased vegetation have attracted birds, insects, bats, frogs and other wildlife, while soil carbon levels have doubled.
“It’s pretty nice to look back and go, ‘Well, this is what it used to look like, and this is what it looks like now,’” she said.
“That’s probably what I’m most proud of.”
The award has also opened new conversations about relationships between farmers and the hospitality industry, including the role restaurants can play in supporting the producers within their supply chains.
“So they’re the kind of conversations we’re going to have now, which is exciting,” she said.
“I don’t know what opportunities will come, but I’ll take them while I’ve got them because they won’t last for ever.”
Ms Stevens is now looking beyond Bundarra Farm, using her experience to help other small producers establish their own processing infrastructure through Holding Ground Australia.
She said the consultancy was working with farmers to develop micro-processing facilities, including community-run abattoirs, collectives and on-farm operations.
“There’s a real urgency for that infrastructure in Australian farming because a lot of small farmers are just being locked out,” she said.
