The regenerative farm that proved its philosophy off the paddock

In Daylesford, Brooklands Free Range Farm has been quietly reworking its local food system for years. Run by husband-wife duo Nats and Jono, the farm’s story is one of passion for farming that works hand-in-hand with nature. In 2024, Nats’ health was put to the ultimate test and the community they’d built through food showed up. 

🌾 The lay of the land: Brooklands Free Range Farm is a regenerative farm established in 2012.  The operation is 100 percent chemical free, supporting rare-breed British White cattle and Berkshire Pigs. 

🗣️: “It’s a bit unusual, we breed everything on the farm in a closed herd. It’s so we know the history of everything we sell.” Nats said. 

“We’re always thinking of the eagles, the birdlife, the insects. They all complement each other and help each other - and what’s under our feet.” 

Quick catch up: Regenerative farming involves the property working in synchronicity with nature.

• The animals themselves contribute to the processes of regeneration. 

• For example: The pigs forage, digging to a certain depth before being rotated to new pasture. This helps photosynthesis in the roots, Nats said. 

• Soil that is looked after converts into healthy animals, subsequently aiding the health of the person that goes on to eat the products the farm produces. 

• The couple also employs a multi-species series of cover crops, including things like clovers, radishes, and turnips.  “They are good in the summer for moisture in the soil and feeding the worms,” said Nats.

The chemical substitute: Brooklands make their own fertilisers with worm castings, coating seeds planted with this in addition to milk and molasses. When pastures appear dry, they jump into action and use a spritz of this mixture to bring it back to life. 

Why regenerate? Nats said it was a series of unexpected ideas and events that led their family to regenerative farming. 

Having spent her childhood holidays on dairy farms, as well as helping her father and grandfather fish and prepare hunted food for meals, Nats was no stranger to the lifestyle. Her husband Jono is from a family farm in New Zealand and simply wanted to give farm animals a better life. 

After time spent in Melbourne’s hospitality industry, an appreciation of food meant the duo wanted to bring nutrient-dense food. They felt modern options had lost flavour, health benefits and connection to the consumers. 

❤️ ️The benefits of creating a community: Brooklands function through partnerships with local restaurants, some as renowned as Lake House Daylesford, and farmers’ markets. 

🗣️ “You’re actually talking to the people that grow your food. On a Sunday, that’s 150 conversations [at the market] with people eating our food, helping to spread knowledge. We think of customers as a part of the farm because they know so much about how we farm - and us personally.” 

Trying times: The farm’s connection with the local Daylesford community was put to the test in 2024, when Nats needed a kidney transplant. Luckily, the perfect match was found very quickly - in her own husband, Jono. 

🗣️ “It definitely threw a spanner in the works with farming,” Nats said with a laugh. “When they looked at Jono’s kidney, they said it was one of the healthiest they’d ever seen.”

Community support: The surgery and expected recovery meant the two key pillars behind Brooklands Free Range Farm were going to be out of action for months. Without hesitation, the community showed up. 

“It was absolutely insane. We couldn’t do markets, it was going to take a while to recover. The community jumped in and forward-paid up to almost $5,000 worth of product,” said Nats. “The community that had built us through food was just amazing. The understanding, the support. It was incredible. People were willing to buy whatever they could to support us. It took almost two years to pay them back.”

🐄The farm today: The farm continues to thrive under the watchful and loving eye of Jono and Nats. They facilitate school tours to teach kids from Melbourne about food systems and sustainability.