Richard Page
Richard Page, Monteagle NSW
Grass Fed Lamb Farmer
The property Stoneridge has been in the Page family for four generations spanning nearly 100 years. Over this time it has seen many incarnations, from being part of a large family concern covering three properties from Forbes to Young in NSW, breeding racehorses, stud cattle, grazing and cropping to different degrees, it is now run by a family of five. Based in the Hilltops region of NSW, also known as the South West Slopes, just North of Young they enjoy a temperate climate with cold frosty winters and hot dry summers.
Sustainable farming
During the drought years from 2000 to 2008, changes needed to be made to the way they were farming so they decided to change their practices to a more natural system. This led to moving away from cropping to a grazing focused business. Training in Holistic Management, Ecological Agriculture and Low-Stress Stock Handling has given them the tools and knowledge to change systems to a sustainable regenerative system.
Today they run a merino ewe flock of about 3000 ewes and produce first cross lambs with quality White Suffolk sires. These are managed in a controlled grazing system where stock is regularly moved so they always have fresh pastures and the land is well rested and recovered before being grazed again. In this system the soils regenerate naturally with little input.
Food for health
The Page family are passionate about eating the best food for their health and now can offer the same level of care for others who share their passion. They believe that knowing where your food comes from is a vital part of eating right. In days gone by everyone had a connection with the land that produced their food, and today they want to be that connection for our customers.
Premium, natural Lamb
Stoneridge71 Lamb is a premium product grown in the Hilltops Region of NSW. Their lambs are all born and raised here on chemical free pastures with a focus on their health and well-being. They concentrate on ensuring the soils are as healthy as possible by using grazing management techniques that ensure all land has time to recover from each grazing and use only organic inputs to allow the soil organisms to flourish. This means the grasses that are grown are healthy and strong which in turn gives the animals a highly nutritious diet producing meat that is itself healthy, nutritious and natural.
Farming as nature intended
The different seasons, from cold frosty winters to hot dry summers, gives their lambs a great diversity of feed during the year. As all of their lambs are grass-fed and finished, with no added feed, the flavour changes with the season as the grass that they feed on changes. All their lambs are born during spring which gives them the best possible start in life as this is when they have an abundance of feed.
Unlike supermarkets they don’t aim to have every lamb exactly the same as the last, they change as the seasons and feed changes and this is normal in a grass-fed grazing system. The size, colour, texture, tenderness and flavour will change throughout the year which is ‘as nature intended’.
Better for our animals, better for you
Being a family owned and run business the Page family are small enough to be able to spend time with their animals practising low stress stock handling techniques. This means that their stock are not exposed to stressful situations such as bulk livestock carriers and saleyards where stock can spend extended periods away from food and water. By transporting themselves they can ensure that the animals are not exposed to these stressful periods.
Due to being grass-fed, Stoneridge lamb is higher in omega 3 fatty acids, high in lineolic acids and lower in saturated fats it also contains higher levels of vitamins and minerals than grain fed lamb found in feedlots and supermarkets. This means it is much better for you and your family’s health.