ethics

The ethical issues around farrowing crates ( designed to stop sows crushing piglets after birth) which confine the sow in an area not much larger than its body size are still a concern. Sure , no one wants a crushed piglet but there are alternative solutions.
Warren Smith Of Minniribbie free range Berkshire Pork farm has 2 acres of his free range area set aside on his property about 10 kms north of Coffin Bay for mothers to farrow piglets.
It is a shared area for the sows and while he acknowledges you might lose a piglet now and again but mortality does exist in factory farms due to the associated stress and over crowding.
A comparison between Danish factory farmed pigs with Sows confined in farrowing crates and Swedish farms where the crates are banned ( sows are in 5 meter pens)showed no significant difference in mortality rates. *
Warren adds the key is in the Berkshire sows ,who are naturally good mothers.
Combined with the litter sizes that he achieves of 7 (ideal) to 8 (max) piglets enable the sow to care for all of her offspring effectively without losing condition or becoming exhausted .
Compare this with the traditional Large White and Landrace litter sizes that we have selectively bred to produce a dozen or so piglets and you can understand why you may not need farrowing crates if the mother can cope with the litter size and is not stressed from confinement.

Density rate and confinement are also issues in the intensive factory systems.
Warren gives his animals no iron supplement, no antibiotics, there is no tail docking or teeth clipping done on the piglets. The later common place (and quite painful for piglets) to stop tail biting which is often brought about from boredom , over stocking and confinement in factory systems.
Warren points out that the sows teach appropriate social behavior to the offspring and his livestock do not exhibit the above mentioned behavioral problems.
This view is shared by Louise Smith of Loxton who is one of a growing number of farmers producing free range Berkshire Free Range Pork for Richard Gunner of Feast Fine Foods.
Feast started off with a handful of producers farming Berkshire's ( among them Colin and Joy Lenient from the Barossa) and has now grown to a group of 10 free range producers as awareness of factory farm conditions has risen and consumer demand for free range pork has subsequently grown.
Another, but unrelated "Smith" ,Louise Smith of Loxton , a 26 year old who along with her brother has joined the family business says the ease of managing and herding the intelligent little black Berkshire pigs is why her family started free ranging them. The Smith family provide ample straw bedding , chains and toys for the pigs to play with, shade and windbreaks for weather protection and has found no need for docking and clipping if the pigs are happy and active in their free range environment.
The resurgence of Berkshire pigs has come about because they are a hardy little heritage breed and ideal for free ranging due to the darker pigmentation, this means they dont sun burn like the modern factory farmed breeds that just would not tolerate our climate out doors.
Warren makes a point of providing conditions as natural as possible for his live stock, wallowing baths for cooldown ( pigs cant sweat) , wallowing also enables the pigs to get a natural layer of "sunscreen " from the mud.
Warrens favorite time of the day is feeding time "and the sense of well being from seeing his pigs healthy and content ". This is a stark contrast with Warrens memory of visiting a a commercial piggery "and leaving quite distressed from seeing these intelligent creatures in such conditions".

There are a few hitches with free range systems. Warren has a separate paddock for less dominant pigs and is able to put the more gentle animals in together to avoid the associated bullying that can occur from dominant pigs.
Louise says on hot days they are out in the paddocks every hour or so replenishing wet areas to ensure the pigs are not heat stressed.
Growth rates are almost twice as long when free ranging, it takes 7 months to get a porker to reach 45 kg as opposed to factory systems which can yield the same weight in 3 ½ months.
This obviously is going to add to the cost of the final product but the price difference really isnt that great to the consumer.
At the end of the day the meat of a free range Berkshire is moister, sweeter and the worth the price.

*Weber R., Keil NM, Fehr M, Horat R. (2009) Factors affecting piglet mortality in loose farrowing systems on commercial farms. Livestock Science 124, 216-222.

You cannot dispute the credentials of Jan and John Angus whose family has some six generations of history in the Eden Valley .Sheep farming in the region can be traced back to 1843 for the Angus clan. Their branded Hutton Vale lamb is an evolution of Border Leicester and Dorset lambs being introduced to the existing Merino flock and the subsequent introduction of White Suffolk into the flock early this century.
With a connection to the land this old a certain amount of wisdom is handed down through the generations and Jan explains that if you watch what the land is doing , watch what the sheep look like and err on the side of caution at all times with stocking levels you will have happy lambs and maintain pastures in pristine condition. This ensure lambs are fed and able to roam on pasture.
Jan and John don't limit their involvement to just the process of raising the lamb and follow through with measures that ensure the lambs have a good and dignified end to their days.
A lot of mass produced commercial "fatter lambs" are finished intensively to prepare them for worse possible scenario of 3 days off feed and water( a day before transport, a day during transport and a day at the abattoirs). This is something that the Angus' don't do , the lambs are fed up to the night before and off to the abattoirs for a first cab of the rank 6.30 "appointment". This keeps stress to a minimum as a sheep off feed or held for to long in yards is stressed and as Jan says the most important thing for her livestock is not just a good life , but a good death as well.
Spear Creek Dorper is an interesting lamb from the Flinders Rangers. Jamie McTaggart comes from five generations of wool producers. He picked the Dorper which is a hardy fast growing breed of South African origin specifically for its suitability to his land.The breed grazes and is naturally seasoned on the salt bush pasture of the region . Jamie acknowledges the fragility of the country and says that if the lambs are fat then he has his stocking levels correct and never runs anywhere near capacity on this front. It is a land care and welfare before profit approach.
He also is clearly reacting against 15 years of shearing experience where the he and the livestock were doused with chemicals and ( the sheep , not him !) subjected to extensive mulesing ( a common practice of removing sections of skin around the sheeps tail, often this painful process is performed with no anesthetic). With the Dorper flock there is no need for crutching, shearing, jetting, the aforementioned mulesing or any chemical inputs. This means nominal interference with the animals through handling and therefore reduced stress levels.
Phil & Michele Prince were driven to market their own branded lamb after a trip to market and watching their lamb go for a price that really didn't reflect the "welfare first" effort that was being put into producing a Kelvale Merino and Ashmore White Suffolk line that they hand feed in the Clare Valley. Their Savannah Lamb is 100 % antibiotic and hormone free, if grain needs to be used then it is from their crop, thus they have a 100% traceable product. They have planted 10 000 trees to decrease the salinity levels of the property which the Hill River runs through. The trees provide wind breaks and shade for their livestock and they use hay bales to form additional protection against the elements lambing season. They are moving towards a bare breach sheep( which means no mulesing) with the introduction of superior genetics because as Phil says "Animals respond to kindness" . The proof of which he feels is in the huge percentage increase in lamb numbers by following steps that ensure his livestock are happy. They don't use either dogs or prods in stock management as this is another source of stress. This ethos goes right through to the stocks final days. Michele refuses to double decker transport her livestock (which is a major reason why some lamb are kept off feed for 24 hours before transport to eliminate the effluent being dropped to the bottom level of the transport truck). She transports the lamb herself in small weekly batches to ensure there is no stress from over crowding or excessive time spent in holding pens.
An independently audited and certified production system devised by Livestock Central falls under the banner of Red Star Lamb. One farmer following these protocols is Josh Walter in Geelong . By buying this lamb you are ensured that a multifaceted system which encompasses low stress production and transport techniques, quality and health guidelines and environmental issues has been followed.
Veterinarian Rick White is part of a team of multifaceted professionals which includes an agronomist and nutritionalist. The system ensures ewes are in top nutritional condition prior to joining ( thats a vets way of saying what mummies and daddies do to make babies !), that lambs are only delivered during peak pasture and weaning is undertaken slowly with a feeding regime that lowers stress. The cornerstone of the program is the protocols surrounding nutritional requirements of weened lambs. The idea is that the less finishing time the lamb needs then the less methane the output will be so the program encompasses a critical environmental concern in the area of greenhouse gas emissions .

Rolled Lamb neck with almond and rosemary, mushy mint peas, lemon potato

Serves 4 to 6
Equipment
Butchers trussing string
Stab mixer
Food processor
2 forequarter 5 bone lamb chops
Paste
1 tsp sea salt
60 g almond toasted for 10 mins in 180 C oven
8 sprigs Rosemary
3 clove garlic peeled
¼ bunch parsley leaves and stems.
½ cup pitted green olive
2 white anchovy
25 ml EVOO
For searing
Lots of cracked black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Juice of half a lemon
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Preheat a fan forced oven to 140 C .
Trim lamb neck and lay out flat skin side down,season with the 1 tsp of salt.
Blend almond / rosemary/ garlic/ parsley/olive/ anchovy and olive oil in a food processor to a chunky paste.

Make a straight cut from the rack end of the meat to butterfly the chop. Dont cut all the way through the meat , you are just trying to "open up" the chop. Smear paste on the lamb and roll up. Truss with butchers net/ string. Season the outside and place in oven for 3 to 3 and ½ hours.
Remove and place in a preheated heavy based pan over a medium heat. Season with remaining sea salt and cracked pepper and sear all sides to render lamb skin and fat, remove and rest 20 mins. Carve and drizzle with a splash of extra EVOO and juice from lemon.
1 kg waxy potato ( dutch cream , bintje, nicola)
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 tsp sea salt
4 sprigs rosemary stripped
4 whole garlic cloves
Par cook potato in salted boiling water from cold( about 12 mins after simmer is reached ) , allow to cool slightly, cut lengthwise into quaters, douse with lemon juice and rosemary , sea salt , bash whole garlic cloves and toss. Place on oven tray and roast at 200 C for 20 mins.

2 tbl spoon butter
1 onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 ½ cup peas ( podded)
Handfull mint
Sea salt and black pepper
Over a medium flame in a heavy based saute pan sweat onion until glassy in butter, add garlic, salt and pepper. Sweat until garlic is aromatic while stiring. Add peas and saute for a few minutes. Add a splash of water and pop a lid on for about 2 mins. Add mint and stab mix until mushy but dont puree , leave some texture.

The Australian Egg Corporation Limited is a national industry body that represent 90 % of egg producers. They have laid down guidelines for their Egg Corp Assured scheme.
The RSPCA have laid down some guidelines which can be voluntarily adopted with its "choose wisely" labeling.
FREPAA ( Free Range Poultry Association of Australia) and Australian Certified Organic both have guidelines for their free range eggs.

Definitions of what free range means under these various schemes can differ greatly . Stocking density's in sheds from 5 to 14 birds per square meter, in outdoor areas from 750 1500 birds per hectare ( and there is talk of one particular accreditation scheme upping that number considerably which is bad news for chooks).
Paddock quality guidelines can vary from "avoid muddy or unsuitable conditions" which sounds a little vague to "long term sustainability with adequate natural ground cover". Beak trimming is prohibited under some schemes and limited to "a once off trimming in the first week...limited to trimming only of the hook of the upper (beak)..."
The de beaking may come as a surprise but chooks that are in a density situation will become carnivorous so the guideline has been put in place for a reason, ACO and FREPAA both prohibit the practice because their stocking density's are the lowest on the list.
There is a lot of criticisms of some of these guidelines for being too soft but there is nothing stopping you from finding out exactly which scheme meets your approval.
All of the above mentioned free range accreditation guidelines are readily available on their respective websites. I will also point out that a producer may not be accredited with any body and actually be exceeding these guidelines( rare but actually true in some cases).
Jon and Joanne Mawby at Cleland Gully Eggs run 12 000 Highline chooks near Mount Compass. They do no debeak the birds and there is easy access from the immaculate barns to good levels of outside natural ground cover on a property that has a gentle slope down to a river with lots of shade. All in all the birds are just kicking back doing whatever chickens do.
Jon's main concern for the industry is that there is talk that one code of practice's density levels for free range birds could be increased from an existing 1500 birds per hectare to possibly anything up to 10 times that number.These figures are purely speculative and unconfirmed but if it was to happen it is a density level that Jon says makes a joke of the low density producers who are doing the right thing by their livestock.
This is clearly bending guidelines to meet the increased consumer demand for free range product. It seems like a move to facilitate the easy conversion of existing cage and broiler factory farming infrastructures to "free range" but it completely misses the point that the idea of authentic free range is to put the hens welfare first.

One in five South Australian free range eggs come from Rohdes Farm in the Clare Valley which produces around 32,000 free range eggs a week .This is another family business and is a broad acre farm at Tarlee also producing grain and sheep. The supplementary feed for the chooks can therefore come straight from the farm.
This is an RSPCA accredited free range product so every couple of months a representative from the choose wisely scheme carries out an audit. Angela Rohde shares the same concerns as the Mawby's in regards to opportunistic suppliers riding the free range band wagon and the possibility of even laxer guidelines being introduced by some of the accreditation schemes.
One of the most interesting operations is Tom and Fiona Fryar's Kangaroo Island free range eggs. Thijs couple started with 400 chooks in 1992 and were definitely visionary's in the free range field. The farm has 50 mobile shelters which are dotted around and moved continually to new pasture which is possible due to the Islands lack of foxes .This provides a continual and varied diet of grubs, seeds , worms and insects and no chance of manure build up. Shortly after weening young Maremma stock dog puppies bond with the chooks.The Italian Maremma sheep dogs are natural herders and act as hen body guards by keeping an eye out for eagles and feral cats. They now run 50 000 full beaked chooks over 4 000 acres near Kingscote and are Humane Choice Accredited.

Free range egg omelette , field mushrooms , Alexandrina Romano and sour dough.

Omelettes are an art, they are an exercise in temperature control, egg protein coagulation and basic pan control. A good omelette requires the eggs to be broken and slightly mixed with a fork ,NOT beaten ( that's scrambled! as in scrambled eggs).
There is approximately 6 degrees temperature difference between coagulating ( setting) egg whites and yolks. This is exploited by having a fairly cooked egg white component of the dish ( which sets quicker at lower temps) and a softer runnier yolk and therefore two different and distinct textures in the dish.
The addition of a yolk and water are actually softening the proteins which should never be cooked to a level that they squeeze or release water, this will produce a dry leathery result.
Butter sizzles at 100 C , the temperature that the water content of the butter starts to evaporate, adding room temperature eggs to a 100 degree heavy based omelets pan should give a final temperature of around the mid 70 C mark , egg whites coagulate at around 72 C so the butter singing in your pan is telling you have sufficient temperature to set the eggs without shocking them.

Per person
3 whole free range eggs
1 free range egg yolk
Tbl water
30 g butter
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1 giant field or swiss brown mushroom
Another 30 g butter.
One or two good sprigs oregano,picked
Handful shaved Alexandrina Cheese Co Romano cheese ( or similar salty and hard cheese)
Thick piece of sourdough bread
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
Dry toast the bread both sides on a hot grill plate , and brush with the olive oil.
Place the butter on the mushroom with the picked oregano and season, place in moderate to hot oven for 8 or so minutes .When mushroom is cooked place on top of the bread and cover with the cheese, grill until cheese melts.

Place an omelette pan over a med heat, crack the eggs, add the water and fork through lightly to bust the yolks and "muddle" the whites.
Season with salt and pepper.
Place the butter in the pan, swirl it around, if it immediately turns nut brown the pan is too hot, start again. The butter should just sizzle.
Add egg mix, turn up flame to fairly hot. As the egg starts to set drag a spatula or fork across the omelette and tilt the pan to allow uncooked portion of egg to slide into the bare space you have created, repeat after one minute from another direction. Now "wrap" the pan to release the omelette, slide 1/3 rd up the edge of the pan and flip it into the centre, repeat with the remaining 1/3 rd on the opposite side of the pan to create a cigar. The residual heat will cook the centre of the omelette, grilling or flipping just over cooks the dish.

Unfortunately this scenario is not fantasy, trends overseas are moving more towards full housing dairy farming and larger herds.
There are however still producers out there making great milk and looking after both their land and cows best interests . Its not just about getting the cheapest white stuff in a bottle, cheap prices on food nearly always have a consequence for our farmers , their land or animals.

If you love coffee you will probably love Jersey milk, these little cows were hugely popular until a turn around half way through last century. It might just be why your Gran says milk just doesn't taste the same these days.
In the words of Dan Mc Caul from Alexandrina Dairy "the large globules ( of fat in Jersey milk) help the feel in the mouth , and also digestion. Homogenization smashes them. So we don't homogenize the milk. We're anti smash". Years ago Becky Mc Caul sent a me an email ending with
“This photograph is 'Nigella'.She is my newest little calf! I love her!"
I still smile when I think about this, the Mc Cauls still name all their heifers and Becky visits the new born calves twice a day for a feed , a scratch and knowing her for a bit of a chat!

Three couples run Fleurieu Milk Company , they have the best of both worlds. The Clarks run a small Jersey herd and have the much talked about A2 milk , the Royans and Hutchensons run Holstein Freesians so they have all the bases covered.
They have great pasture close to the dairy and all the milk is permeate free, so it will go through seasonal changes ; Geoff says frost might affect protein levels periodically .As a chef I think its refreshing to have a farmer that just works with his seasons and the changes that they may bring to the produce and stands by that, its real.
These guys say the best bit of their job is to take the dipper out of the vat and pop down to the house with the fresh milk which is pretty much the stuff you get if you buy the un homogenized range.

Tweedvale Milk sourced from pastures in the Lobethal Adelaide Hills area has become a bit of a baristas favorite around town.Carlo Lorenzetti calls his milk "a taste of the Hills" .
It too is un homogenized and comes from a collection of small herd property's in the area, a great solution to balancing volume yet still enabling individual farmers to manage the land and cows in a personalized hands on way .

A visit to the Spranz's Paris Creek B.-d property in the Hills a few years ago was another eye opener, this has got to be absolutely the most amazing pasture I have seen on a dairy farm .The cows, like the land are cared for under B.-d principles , the herding and milking of the cows was one of the lowest stress examples of dairy farming I have seen, the result is a milk that has huge and well deserved following.

Its about a balance of great tasting milk, happy cared for cows and good land care practices so get out to your local farmers market and taste some milk and ask a few questions.

so get some decent milk and maybe give this a bash ....make your own cheese !!!!

Baked paneer cheese, coriander and green chili wilted silver beet

This is the simplest form of cheese whereby you acidulate hot milk and stand back with amazement as the curds form. A gentle touch is required to scoop the curds and once you master the correct technique for this and the pressing of the curds you will feel an incredible sense of accomplishment. The flavor is largely dependent on the milk you buy so I always opt for a local real milk.
This dish is loosely based on Saag Paneer, I was taught to always puree the greens ( which were spinach leaves) and fold in chunks of pressed paneer at the end. This version came about because I love the texture and irony flavor of wilted silverbeet over the cressy flavor of pureed spinach.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Paneer
Part 1
1.8 ltr milk
160 ml double cream
70 ml white vinegar
Part 2
100 ml yogurt whipped lightly
Pinch saffron threads soaked in a smidge of warm water for 30 mins
Good pinch salt flakes
1/8 teaspoon amchur powder( available indian grocers, aka mango powder)
Wilted silverbeet
60 g ghee
1 big bunch silverbeet , leaves sliced across axis in 40 mm widths ( the lower stems are not used in this dish)
2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 brown onions diced
1 tbl spoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly grated tumeric
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 small tin diced tomato
1 bunch coriander , stems chopped and leaves picked
1 large green chilli sliced
salt

Method
Cheese
Get 50 cm square of muslim cloth and line a 15 cm conical strainer leaving edges of the cloth hanging over.
Bring milk up just below a simmer over a low flame in a heavy based pot, fold in cream, continue heating and stirring with a spatula to prevent sticking.
Just before the milk/ cream simmers over ( i.e. About 90 c when it starts foaming up) stir to create a little whirlpool with a spatula, turn off flame and pour the vinegar in a steady stream.
Dont touch ! Leave for 4 mins ,carefully scoop all the curds out with a flat fine strainer and place gently into the muslim cloth. Get the cloth edges and gather together to form a big ball( should be about the size of a softball). Loop string around the top and tie, squeeze excess liquid out very gently and then place the ball in wide shallow tray. Put a plate on top and press with something weighing about 1 kg for 30 mins( n.b. The left over whey in a pot usually does the trick). The cheese will squeeze a little excess liquid through the cloth as it presses, this is normal, transfer to fridge for 40 mins to firm up.
Mix saffron, soaking liquid into yogurt
Remove cheese from fridge and unwrap. Lightly oil a baking tray, place cheese on tray and cover with yogurt mix, bake in hot oven until dark brown with a few black crispy bits. Hit it with a squeeze of lemon and the amchur ( dried mango) powder.
Silverbeet
Saute onions and garlic in the ghee over medium heat, turn up the flame when softened and add fresh grated turmeric, cumin and coriander. Fry until aromatic and ( a minute or so ,some of the cumin should pop a bit),turn down to low heat fold in diced tomato with juices from the tin and simmer for 10 mins or until tomato soft. Turn heat up and fold in spinach and coat with spices and tomato, add a splash of water and place lid on pan, cook until spinach wilted, check seasoning.
Rip the cheese up and toss on top of spinach, serve with pappadams.

But I would rather be a kangaroo and take my chances and live my life wild and free than a factory farmed pig. It's a horror to me to go to some of these - not all of them but a lot of them - factory farms, especially chicken and pig farms.

When someone talks about the roo issue, I agree, it's brutal, but given the choice myself, I would rather be a kangaroo and take the chance of being popped in the head than being in a shed intensively farmed with a chain around me, or crammed on top of each other in a cage like our egg chickens are.

On the plus side roo's don't do a lot of damage to the land, they don't need a lot of water. I do have it on my menus. But I do acknowledge that it is a complex issue.

There is always a flip side , the think tank for kangaroos, University of Technology Sydney paper Advocating kangaroo meat:towards ecological benefit or plunder? presents a very different side of the argument. It is a must read about some of the ethical issues surrounding the issue of kangaroo meat.

Chefs buy whole crates from the markets and kill them to order. Dog is considered a delicacy and more valuable if the dogs produce adrenalin before a gut-wrenching death involving prolonged suffering and pain.

Many chefs in Guangzhou have been fired from their jobs because they refuse to cook it. They think the killing process is inhumane and disturbing, especially for those who have dogs as pets, Bryant says. But the problem is that jobs are scarce over there and so not all can repudiate as dog cooking is so common.
There are organic ways to farm animals and a humane way of killing them. The dog is a pack animal, they are acutely intelligent and they are incredibly aware of what s going on - it's heartbreaking to see the looks on their faces. They know when they're about to be killed, unlike other animals, so this practice has to be stopped. lt's all about changing the public's perception through education.

Many local Chinese and international welfare groups, including Animals Asia Foundation, are campaigning for the practice to be banned, distributing information to their supporters and lobbying Chinese officials on a regular basis.