From the Paddock: Why I Started Pete’s Meats

I’ve spent my life on the land. I was raised here in Neringla, a small patch of high country between Braidwood and the coast. My dad farmed this land, and his dad before him. Now, it’s my turn — and I reckon I’ve got a responsibility not just to my family, but to the soil under my boots.

You don’t need to be a scientist to know something’s not right in agriculture. The cattle market’s broken. The prices farmers get for top-quality beef have been pushed so low by the big supermarkets and processors that most of us are barely keeping the lights on. And when you’re barely getting by, you’re forced to run more cattle than the land can handle. That puts pressure on your pasture, your animals, your water — and eventually, your health.

I’ve watched neighbours get swallowed up by debt. I’ve seen good families walk away from properties that have been in their name for generations. That’s not just sad — it’s a tragedy. And the land suffers too. Because when you push cattle too hard on poor ground, nothing gets the chance to recover.

That’s where Pete’s Meats comes in.

Instead of selling my beef into the commodity system — where it’s lumped in with poor-quality meat from stressed animals and overworked land — I decided to do things differently. I’m offering the same top cuts I’d put on my family’s table, but raw and portioned for dogs. Because they deserve better than kibble and scraps too.

Our meat is cubed or minced from prime pasture-raised beef, flash-frozen on-farm, and delivered direct to your door. No fillers. No processing plants. No trucking animals across the country. Just nutrient-rich meat from cattle that graze on perennial grasses and drink from our creeks — the way nature intended.

I believe in regenerative farming. We move our cattle every few days, giving the grass time to recover and rebuild the soil. It means lower cattle numbers, but healthier land and happier animals. That’s the trade-off I’ve chosen. And it’s working — I can see it in the colour of the grass, the bounce in the soil, and the clean water that flows through the property.

This isn’t just about dog food. It’s about changing the system — one paddock, one cow, one customer at a time. If we can shorten the chain between the farmer and the consumer, we can fix what’s broken.

Thanks for being part of it.

– Pete
Fourth-generation farmer, father of four, and a bloke who gives a stuff.