The Tillari challenge: 

Will you 'pork' it forward?

Be part of putting up the 'Fencing' for the 'Final Paddock' (Building an On-Farm Fully Accredited Butchering Room).

'My passion is nourishing people – Australian people – with quality humanely raised pork and lamb and at the same time securing the future of two rarebreeds of livestock.' - Belinda Marriage

Tim and I have always wanted to be farmers – individually and then collectively when we met in Mt Isa – myself as a Registered Nurse and Tim as an Apprentice Electrician. I guess you could say the land and farming is in our blood as is the need to feed people. What greater honour is there than to grow and nuture the very food that nourishes not only the body but the soul?

It didn't surprise anyone that in our early 20's, together we bought a small parcel of run down land with a 'character building' house on it – this is 'Tillari' - located in a little unknown rocky part of the world called Karara - west of Warwick in Southern Queensland..

Fast forward ten years...

Besides the two Humans that make up Tillari – myself and Tim - there are a whole heap of golden orange pigs running around in paddocks and sheep with chunky butts swaying all over the place. 

Tillari has become home to the very very rare Tamworth Pigs (one of only three signifanct groupings in Australia) and amongst other sheep the very rare Persians. All animals are run in paddocks (and sometimes out) and we believe we have a social responsibilty to ensure genetic diversity in our livestock for future generations.  

Our pigs get to be pigs. Naughty, snout digging, wallowing, happy, stress-free pigs. And as for the sheep? Well they think they own the place.

For the last 4-5 years we have run a paddock to plate business – selling direct to our customers our delicious soul-nuturing rarebreed pork, lamb, hogget and mutton. We have had the pleasure or working with some excellent and not so excellent butchers during this time – but feel that we could honour and utlise the carcess to a fuller extent.

With your help we wish to take control over another part of our supply chain to build an accredited butchering room on farm, a place we will call:

'The Final Paddock'

What this will mean for Tillari:

• The ability to honour the animal in death as we do in life through respect and utilisation of the full carcess.
• Decreased food miles
• Control of another section of the food chain.
• The ability to create sausages and other products using locally farm sourced vegetables and herbs for flavours while saying good-bye to any other additives or chemicals.
• Good food nourishes a good mind and body – we want children and adults alike to be able to access not just meat from an ethically raised animal but pure meat crafted ethically.
• Stability of price – we will no longer be open to flunctuating prices charged by butchers  - that we continually have to absorb or pass onto customers.
• The ongoing ability to feed the people of Queensland and allow us to keep saving two wonderful rarebreeds of livestock in Australia.
• Providing a little bit more stability to food Security not only in Queensland but inAustralia.
• Pride as farmers - not only in our ability to farm and rasie happy pigs and sheep but to also be proud of the food we can prepare for Queensland Families.

To do this we need to build an on farm room that will be accredited with QLD Safe food. 

With your help it will happen.

Any funds raised above this amount will be used to buy better quality items or possibly brand new instead of second hand. We have set the target low as we really want this campaign to be sucessful. 

Why would you chose to Pork it Forward?

• We have structured our rewards really as a 'pork it forward campaign' and in such a way that not just locals can support us.
•  We have rewards that can be posted anywhere in Australia.  REALLY - who wouldn't love a 12 month calender of baa-ewe-tiful sheep and pigs as a Christmas gift? (And yes Lady Baa Baa has confirmed she will take part in the Calendar), or 
• What better gift to give to someone in the Brisbane or Toowoomba area than a market voucher? 

These seem like much better gifts than something generically made in China – and you are nourshing a body and a helping a small Queensland family farmer.

We sincerely thank you for taking the time to read our campaign - it really does mean the world to us.

Tim and Belle and all of those who oink and baa.

Phone 0435126465

Email: [email protected]

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Tillari-Trotters-Fully-Free-Range-Rare-Breed-Pork-147552435329113/

Website: www.tamworthpigs.com.au 

All funds will be spent knowing that people have helped us to make this dream a reality.

• We are Aussie farmers - so around here we know that there isnt much that can't be fixed with baling twine or duct tape - we really know know how to make our dollar stretch futher.  
• Where we are able we will source products through local suppliers and where possible Australian made items.

A rough budget includes

• Coldroom panels and erection - $15 000 (coldroom panels, seamless flooring,  labour, sliding glass doors, windows, concrete slab. 
• Licencing Fees – $2000
• Fit out $5000 (stainless benches, sausage filler, bandsaw, mincer)

Partnering

We would also appreciate any businesses that may wish to Partner with us to supply us with 'at cost items' we need for our room including:

• Gas Hot Water system, 
• Stainless Steel benches, 
• Butchery Equipment, 
• Airconditioning Unit, 
• Water Filtration system, 
• Water tanks,  
• Plumbing Supplies, and 
• Fittings seamless flooring....  

If you think you could help out with these items or anything else we may need please contact us - your support of our farm is priceless. 

NOTE: Any funds raised above this amount will be used to buy better quality items or possibly brand new items instead of second hand. We have set the target low as we really want this campaign to be sucessful.  We believe in planting a seed and nourshing it to growth - and with your help we believe this project can flourish.

The biggest challenges for me (Belle) are:

•  Holding onto the faith that people have the same passion and belief in the importance of Domestic Food Security for the Australian People - and the importance of clean, stressfree, humanely-raised animals.  
• Hoping that people can see how important it is to keep our rarebreeds of livestock alive.
• Trusting that Australians are aware of the importance and invaulable need for small, family farmers.