ABOUT 32 Acres
32 Acres is a true Paddock to plate provider in the Yarra Valley
Our family owned and operated business has evolved from a small Yarra Valley cattle producer focussed on grass-fed free-range beef to a business offering premium quality free-range grass-fed beef, lamb, and poultry alongside organically certified pork.
Customers can source our produce through our online store, our butchers/farm shop in Woori Yallock or at Farmers Markets across Melbourne.
We aim to ensure that our customers enjoy our produce confident in its origins, reassured that ethical methods of production have been employed and sustainable farm management practices have been followed.
Our signature premium beef is Dry Aged for 28 days in Dry Aging cabinets imported from Germany. The finished product is outstanding and reflects exactly what 32 Acres set out to achieve. Prime cuts such as Ribeye, Porterhouse and Rump respond amazingly well to dry aging and highlight the quality of our Yarra Valley Grass-fed beef, tender and full of flavour.
It is increasingly important to understand and be closer to the origins of what we use and consume.
32 Acres is about ensuring that consumers have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful beef from cattle that are only fed on rich pastures in the beautiful Yarra Valley. The cattle are all bred and raised on the farm situated in the tranquil and fertile Yarra Valley within 50 kilometres of the Melbourne CBD.
Our cattle are the raison d’etre for 32 Acres’ existence. We employ the best methods in animal husbandry and spend a high amount of time with the herd to ensure that they calm and in good health. Our calves are kept with their mothers; allowing the calves to be naturally weaned off. This eliminates the stress of forced weaning for both the cow and the calf resulting in happier and healthier animals. Our Cattle are certified Pasture Fed by the Cattle Council of Australia.
At 32 Acres we run a herd of Black Angus, Wagyu (F1) and Charolais cattle. Our Bull is a prized Black Angus who is always in with the herd.
The approach we take ensures a calm and settled environment for the cattle to prosper and the results in terms of meat quality are obvious to our customers.
our founders
32 Acres was founded by Georgia Dawson and Mark Boyle in 2016., with their sons Jack and Archie. Georgia was inspired by the peace and tranquillity of the Yarra Valley and wanted to explore the opportunities a rural property offered and after a long and successful corporate career Mark want to use his interest in food and wine to explore a new direction through beef farming.
The initial plans were to provide cattle to the feedlot industry, but very quickly it became apparent that the quality of the cattle they were offering were not being truly appreciated and they devised a different business model.
Georgia and Mark are obsessed with quality, 32 Acres is focussed on quality and value. The core values that 32 Acres embrace are Integrity, Respect, Stewardship and Authenticity. Their basic aim is to create an environment that produces world class beef, that cares about the wellbeing of the cattle, the land, the people involved in the farm and the customer.
our friends
We call them friends, but they are much more than that in many ways! From Ross and Carole Cardile who helped us with the initial purchase of the first herd to Dave Wilson at Banana Graphics who did all the signage. A special shoutout to Joshua Applestone from Applestone Butchers in Stone Ridge New York State, USA, who allows us the reprint his wonderful recipes which highlights our different approach to Beef.
But most importantly we must acknowledge Steve Burke and his wife Deb. Steve is simply our go to guy. Consultant, Advisor, and all-round good human, we would never have got here without Steve’s help.
the grass fed difference
Grass-fed beef is not easy to describe, which is why it’s important to give it a try.
When you talk to grass-fed beef fans, they all explain it in their own distinct ways. One thing that’s universal is that grass-fed muscle has a unique mouth feel. It has a particular bite or a chew to it. This has to do with the genetics of grass-fed animals and the way their muscles are used. Grass-fed flavour and texture depend so much on methods the farmer is using, too. We’re always focused on flavour, but we also want to be shepherds of the land. We work with various advisors to assess the impact of our operations on the earth, but also to discover together what’s marketable and delicious.
Australia is a world leader in Grass-Fed beef. Farmers in the United States, for example, have imported genetics from Australia. Those genetics come from a line of beef cattle that was only ever raised on grass — forever. The best grass on the planet is out of Australia, and we have cattle that do better than others on grass. Now these genetics are being acclimated to the northeast of America, which is so different than Australia. It’s really great stuff.
Our Grass-Fed beef comes straight off our paddocks to you. We do not use feed lots or other methods to grown-on the cattle they just grown-up eating grass on Yarra Valley pastures.
THE CHEF’S CUTS
In Australia we tend to have an abundance view of meat, and beef in particular. The challenges we now face with the world food supply will cause a shift in mindset.
When we think of red meat we think of porterhouse, ribeye, scotch fillet or T-bone. Sausages and mince are mid-week fill-ups to help us cope with our busy schedules.
Rarely, do we consider the Chef’s cuts or so called ‘new school cuts”. Often, the Chef’s cuts are the most flavoursome offering great value for money, they are cut thinner than the prime cuts because they have more grain and require a little more chewing, but superior flavour.
Cuts such as ‘hanger’ are highly regarded by Chef’s and butchers and have only recently appeared on menus and online butchers’ websites. The hanger is one of the most uniquely flavoured cuts on the whole cow. The best way to cook a hanger is over a medium heat to medium rare. Too rare and it is too tough to chew and too well done and it becomes stringy and tough.
Other cuts such as Bavette, Flat Iron, skirt and oyster blade are worthy of consideration. When we have cooked these cuts from 32 Acre cattle the results have been wonderful, because we pay attention and ensure we are educated in the best way to cook them.