FROM PASTURE Butchery and ethical farming practices with Sonya Wood

Becoming a butcher seemed like a natural progression for Sonya Wood. As a dedicated supporter of sustainable and ethical farming practices, free-ranging animals and processing them herself has always made sense. It means less stress for the animal, which lives a happy and healthy life, and secures complete quality control.

Knowing what an animal eats and how it lives before slaughter is vitally important to this environment-first farmer and butcher. As the previous managing director of Woolumbi Farm in Tyabb and now working as a freelance butcher who is keen to jump into new sustainable farming projects, Sonya is still as committed to balanced farming practices as she always was. She explains: “I really became a butcher by default because the butcher at Woolumbi Farm couldn’t do the work any longer and there were only two choices: either find someone else quickly or build a farm butcher’s shop. That was in September 2014 and it wasn’t easy. The butcher’s shop was built out of three empty shipping containers joined together and it took four to five months to completely fit it out. The concrete floor had to be poured and drainage, grease traps and refrigeration had to be organised. Then there were benches to install and electricity to be hooked up. Des Nolan, who is a retired fourthgeneration butcher from Mansfield and a friend, taught me everything I know about butchery. I spent hours watching him slicing and boning and paying attention to what size knives he was using. Then I would cut alongside him. There was so much to learn. The boning knife is the finest and you have to get as much meat off the carcass as possible. Clean bones are the pinnacle of success.” Sonya’s commitment to growing and processing animals fits in well with her belief in whole animal butchery practice. She believes that throwing out valuable parts of the animal doesn’t make sense economically or environmentally and is always excited to come up with new recipes while she is cutting the meat. For example, while working with a pork neck she may conjure up ideas of spreading the flesh with horseradish and wrapping it in bacon before cooking. Originally an accountant before living the farm life, Sonya oversaw all aspects of Woolumbi Farm before deciding to become a freelance butcher, which gives her the freedom to do as she pleases. She continues: “Managing Woolumbi Farm taught me a lot about freeranging animals, while freelance butchery gives me opportunities I wouldn’t get otherwise. The highly industrialised side to farming has so many pitfalls. The animals waiting to be slaughtered get diseases and are so distressed. I’ve heard there are mobile abattoirs being set up as an alternative to mainstream abattoirs, which will alleviate some of that distress. The whole system needs an overhaul.” Breeding and butchering on farm would be Sonya’s ideal way of farming livestock, but she’s not quite there yet. All stock at Woolumbi Farm is raised on organic principles, however, allowing animals to live in their natural conditions as they were meant to. All products Sonya makes are based on those principles too. As an expert charcuterist, Sonya makes kabana, frankfurters, gourmet sausages and bacon wherever she lays down her freelance kitchen knives – and that includes Woolumbi Farm. She also makes a range of delicious condiments including relish, mustard, jam and spicy pickled cucumbers.

Accepting that some people may find her butchering way of life confronting, Sonya is committed to her craft and educating people on the ethical and sustainable way of farming on the Mornington Peninsula and beyond. To find out more about her butchering skills and her delicious selection of smallgoods, go to www.woolumbi.com LIZ ROGERS

Area photos by Isabella Rose and Steve Brown