Ben Dunn’s new turkeys are lean, high protein and ‘a lot of fun’
Ben Dunn from the Macedon Ranges decided to diversify his business by incorporating a turkey flock. And the first 100 will be ready in time for Easter.
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A move to organic turkeys has helped diversify Ben Dunn’s vegetable farm, as he hopes to popularise the high-protein meat on Victorian dinner tables.
The Macedon Ranges farmer, of Wildwood Organics, has readied the first flock of 100 broad-breasted white turkeys for Easter.
“The decision came at the right time because water has been scarce on the farm this summer, due to no rain for three months,” he said.
“I decided to downscale the vegetable production mid-season – at about January, normally we do a second planting of vegetable crops.
“As a result, that freed up a bit of time for me to be able to introduce turkeys.”
Ben was raised around sheep and cattle, but said he was the first generation to grow vegetables and turkeys. His partner Madelaine manages 5000 laying hens for her Madelaine’s Eggs business.
“Happy and healthy livestock equals quality, that’s the goal for a small-scale regenerative farmer like myself,” Ben said.
“Our farm has been certified organic for 25 years, that is an ethos for us, it’s something we value and consider as a really important factor in raising livestock and growing produce in general.”
Ben was a beekeeper before a vegetable grower, and now has a range of heirloom tomatoes, zucchini and squash varieties, cucumbers, heirloom pumpkins, beetroot and carrots.
He sells straight to market at Carlton, Flemington and Lancefield farmers markets.
Ben will also plant cover crops ahead of time for the turkeys, which are currently foraging in his fruit tree orchard with plums, apricots, pears and apples.
He hoped to eventually triple his flock numbers, and access heritage-breed turkeys to offer alongside his commercial flock.
“The goal here is to try and change people’s opinions about turkey and it should be something families and local businesses should have more often on the dinner table,” he said.
“I’m loving the actual process of raising these birds and having them on the farm, it’s been a lot of fun to be honest, they’re good animals to be around.”
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