Organigrow is set on 70 acres of prime agricultural land at Monaltrie (also known as Gundurimba) located about 7kms from the Lismore CBD. Lismore is in Northern NSW, near the towns of Byron Bay, Casino and Ballina, a very lush, fertile region. The farm abounds with animals such as Echidnas, koalas and swamp wallabies who happily share their land with the chooks. The abundant bird-life, composed of finches and wrens also enjoy the cover of thick bushes and undergrowth.
Our farm is a certified organic farm (find certifications below), producing mixed fruit and vegetables. Since a number of years now, our produce has been sold to wholesale and retail markets and shops, both locally and interstate, slowly building a reputation for its quality and variety of organic produce.
Two generations of the Cripps Clark family have been taking care of the farm and it is Simon, who holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science Degree, who is now the owner and manager. Simon, who grew up with chickens, uses the latest scientific data and organic principles to ensure that the eggs produced on his farm are 100% organic and free range, giving his chickens the most space and freedom possible and making sure they have access to a varied, healthy food.
The egg enterprise is an integral part of the organic food production process on our farm. The manure from the chickens, rapidly buried by dung beetles, enriches the soil and in turn increases pasture and crop growth. The chickens graze beneath existing fruit and cabinet timber trees, which in turn shade and shelter the chickens. Their manure feeds the trees and increases their growth. When a crop is grown, our hens are allowed to graze the pasture, and they weed off the cropping area entirely thus creating minimal to zero till cultivation to establish the crop in the prepared soil.
We cherish the land we live on and our aim, as farmers, has always, and will always be, to work with the land in the most organic way possible. We make sure that our hens benefit from access to a diverse and interesting environment, free from predators and with plenty of ‘green peck’ in an idyllic foraging environment.
OUR CERTIFICATIONS
The organic certification is through the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) which certifies the whole farm and its produce, including our eggs. Our Organic Growers of Australia (OGA) certification number is producer 628A. We are licensed with the NSW Food Authority. We are accredited with Humane Choice, True Free Range accreditation, accreditation number 4013123, which verifies our farming practices as true free range and pasture raised, animal welfare friendly and environmentally sustainable.
