Coles grant helps Pinjarra cattle producer with $1m feeding shed and in-house compost initiative

Forward-thinking Shorthorn cattle breeder Stuart McCormack is about to break ground on a $1 million, fully-covered cattle feeding facility to create an in-house composting system to slash methane, nitrogen and carbon emissions at his family’s Pinjarra farm.

The move was driven by the need to protect the third generation farmer’s right to farm, as WA’s growing population spreads south around the fertile farmland of Pinjarra, which will eventually impact on his ability to carry out current farming practices.

McCormack Farms was awarded $500,000 in funding assistance from Coles, through its Nurture Fund grants announced last week, to build the facility.

The innovative and environmentally-friendly project, an adaptation of northern hemisphere shed systems, is expected to be valued at more than $1 million, especially with the inevitable delays in environmental approvals and the rise in inflation and construction costs.

“I’ve got to dig deep on this,” Mr McCormack said.

“It’s not about improving profits so much as it is about sustainable land management — working in with the natural wetlands as well as improving the life of the cattle.

“Coles looks after its suppliers, but the premium to me is loyal returning customers.”

The shed project, expected to be completed mid to late 2024, will enable the McCormacks to be able to reduce inorganic fertiliser use, by producing a compost that can be easily spread through a conventional spreader “straight from the shed”.

A successful project will mean that they are able to have a “closed loop system” on farm — without needing to source as much from different environments — therefore reducing freight needs, costs and carbon emissions.

McCormack Farms has its own Shorthorn stud, with animals selected for their genetic traits to assist in fast growing cattle so that the time they spend on farm is reduced, while the ultimate product meets the Coles Finest Carbon Neutral Beef brand requirements.

Mr McCormack wants to have his cattle finished within a five kilometre radius of where they are born and raised, meaning they can walk to the feedlot and only need to be loaded on a truck once and delivered 60kms to the processor — which will improve animal welfare.

He presently runs 980 breeders and finishes his homegrown cattle in the feedlot each year on a grain-based diet. Once the new shed is built the hope is to provide a consistent flow all year round to consumers.

“Our biggest driver is to reduce our carbon footprint,” he said.

“We want to be at the forefront of carbon neutral beef production in Australia.

“It’s all about kilos put on per day — we need to be able to shorten the time the cattle are on the farm and get a high quality product off quicker.”

He said building the 3400sqm facility, with an “impermeable ground surface” will allow them to eliminate the leaching of nutrients into the environment, while managing the 1000mm rainfall per year and improving animal welfare by reducing the impact of heat during summer.

“The in-house composting shed will be state-of-the-art and help reduce animal odour while being socially acceptable,” Mr McCormack said.

Mr McCormack wants to leave the farm to the next generation in a better condition than he found it, which means he needs to “innovate”.

“I want our cattle operation to be like the wine industry — where there’s a story behind it, and the consumer is confident in that story — where they can see that it’s sustainable, ethical, and environmentally and socially acceptable,” he said.

Mr McCormack couldn’t commend Coles enough and was “really excited” about its commitment to help him reach his farming goals.

McCormack Farms is one of eight Australian producer businesses that will share in a total of $3.6 million by Coles to drive innovation and sustainability, bringing the total financial support awarded through the Coles Nurture Fund to $33m across 100 businesses since the initiative started in 2015.