Sarah Groom - Homemade Healthy Happy Farm & Homestay
WHERE AND WHAT DO YOU FARM ?
My name is Sarah Groom, and I run Homemade Healthy Happy Farm & Farmstay. Our farm is located in a tiny village called Waitui (on the Mid North Coast of NSW). We farm organic-fed pasture-raised ethical rare breed pork, and our pigs are now "in conversion organic". We also do ethical dairy beef, and host farmstays. Animal ethics, organics & biodynamics, and regenerative farming as well as educating and inspiring consumers are the things that drive me and guide my farming decisions.
HOW DID YOU START YOUR FARMING JOURNEY / WHAT LED YOU TO IT?
My interest in farming evolved over time - I'm a born & raised cityslicker, so the idea of moving to the country and living off the land was both novel and romantic. It all started when I had my first child - I wanted a healthier and more active/outdoors lifestyle for him and access to healthy chemical-free food. Then the more I learnt about the food system (ranging from use of chemicals to ethics and food miles), the more I didn't like about it - and then the more I felt I had to be a part of changing it. If I didn't like how food was grown and meat was raised, then I should get my hands dirty and do it myself. So we started visiting farms and even moved to Marrook Farm (a biodynamic dairy farm) for a couple of years where, under the watchful eyes and wise minds of David and Heidi, I started a pastured egg business with my friend Emily. But pigs were always my secret goal. I do love pigs, and I also figured - if I'm going to farm something in an effort to raise it as ethically as possible, then I should start with the animal that's typically raised in the most awful conditions. So when Emily and I closed our pastured egg business, my husband and I decided to find our own little plot to raise happy pigs.
IS IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED?
Farming has been everything I expected and more. It is inspiring, heartwarming, and exciting, but in the same day can be heartbreaking, frustrating, and challenging.
BIGGEST LEARNING CURVE SO FAR ?
My biggest learning curve has just been everything to do with my pigs. I'm constantly learning more and more about their bodies, their habits and instincts, and of course their individual quirks and personalities.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST MILESTONE SO FAR ?
My biggest milestone so far has just been getting my pork onto my customers' plates and hearing them say they've never tried pork this good - and never seen pigs happier and healthier than ours. My farming goals are to work towards implementing biodynamic farming methods on my farm.
WHAT IS THE DREAM ?
My dream... is too big! My dream is a world where people eat ethically-raised local organic food! My more realistic dream is just to be part of change in that direction - through providing ethically-raised organic food to local customers and by encouraging our farmstay and farm tour guests to be more conscious consumers.