Susan Banks of Three Ridges Biodynamic Farm at Crossover makes it count

SUSAN Banks lifts the lid on a large double-walled timber box, revealing the rich cow manure compost stored inside.

FARM: Three Ridges Biodynamic Farm Three Ridges Biodynamic Farm is run by Susan Banks and Her Husband Franco, 160ha with a herd of 240 Angus and Charolais cattle Pictured: Susan Banks PICTURE: ZOE PHILLIPS

SUSAN Banks lifts the lid on a large double-walled timber box, revealing the rich cow ­manure compost stored inside.

“I call it the Taj Mahal,” Susan said, joking. “It’s double-walled and filled with peat moss for insulation. It’s been specifically made so we can store the 500.”

Welcome to the world of the biodynamic farmer, an organic method of farming where soil vitality is the key.

In order to be biodynamic­ally certifiable, a farmer must follow a rigorous set of processes, usually starting with the holy grail of 500, cow manure stored in cow horns under the earth for six months before it is transformed into a rich, sweet-smelling compost.

“I go to Powelltown (in the Yarra Ranges) where they make the 500 and pick up a sack of it — about 10kg — twice a year. We spray out a small amount on the pastures — about 800g per 20 acres (8.1ha),” she said.

It was this method of farm management that underscored the property’s success, Susan said.

CROSS HAIRS

FOR the past eight years, Susan, her husband, Franco Santucci, and two teenage sons, have been farming a herd of 300 self-replacing, grass-fed Charolais-Angus cross cattle on 160ha at Crossover in west Gippsland, selling under the Three Ridges Bio-Dynamic Farm label.

Susan said they chose to cross Charolais and Angus to combine the Charolais meat — relatively lean but tender with even marbling to make it flavoursome — with the Angus ability to cope with the cold Gippsland conditions.

The herd — overseen by manager Heath Slater — is self-replacing topped up every few years with a biodynamic-certified Charolais or Angus bull.

Twice a year the herd is joined, in June/July and then December/January. Unlike most farms, Susan and Franco grow out cattle to about 30 months rather than the conventional 18 months.

“This is for quality and flavour. It goes against the grain of abattoirs and butchers’ shops,” she said.

“But it ensures the beef will be full of flavour with great texture. It is the age that gourmet restaurants prefer their beef and how beef is served across Europe.

“In the early days, butchers’ shops struggled with our size, because it didn’t fit in their model but we worked through that.”

Family affair: Susan Banks and her Border Collie Coco

STEAK OUT

EACH fortnight, about two cattle weighing about 600kg liveweight are taken to Radfords abattoir at Warragul, ­before being hung for two weeks at a local butcher who then bones the meat into cuts that maximise the nose-to-tail philosophy.

Most of Three Ridges Bio-Dynamic Farm meat — which was launched in 2012 — is sold to restaurants and caterers, with the remainder sold boxed direct to customers.

“The challenge with beef is to distribute the whole animal,” she said.

“Selling to the saleyards is the worst choice for us because of the fluctuations.

“We like the concept of community-supported agriculture where people join and create a critical mass of customers to buy your meat, which ­ensures security and regularity.”

Franco grew up on a dairy farm at Drouin South and it was this connection to the land that inspired the couple’s move to Crossover in 2007.

Susan, who is trained in textile design, said it was through their sons’ Steiner schooling that they were introduced to biodynamic farming methods.

“We were interested in Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy. He created biodynamics so when we moved here it was natural for us to explore that method. There’s no way we would have farmed conventionally,” she said.

“We also needed a point of difference. We didn’t want to turn off the same steers as everyone else.”

TURN IT AROUND

IT took four years for the once-conventional farm to convert to biodynamics, with the couple schooled by the father of the Australian Demeter ­method, Alex Podolinsky.

“You are selected to become biodynamic. They need to know the integrity is there, and each year you are audited,” Susan said.

Farm management starts with the application of 500, sprayed out in autumn and spring. Even adding water requires a ­detailed process ­according to biodynamic specifications.

“You have to wait for the conditions to be right to spray it out — misty and moist ­before the winter frosts so it can penetrate,” Susan said.

“Franco puts a tank on the back of a tractor and harrows at the same time as spraying.

“It’s no use putting inputs into the soil. They need to be unlocked naturally using biological life.”

Aside from 500, Susan and Franco add lime, dolomite, paramagnetic rock and rock phosphate to pastures of native grasses and clover, while ­manure from their cattle is harrowed into the soil.

“It’s been a patient, gradual transformation. Each year we get audited. We fork the soil and you see how far the roots go down. That is a sign of healthy growth,” she said.

Green dream: The family’s farm at Crossover in west Gippsland.

HEALTH TICK

SUSAN said biodynamics created good soil structure, humus content and moisture-holding capacity, so plant roots could penetrate deeper.

She said the plant could then unlock the minerals and nutrients needed to grow to its potential.

Cattle health is maintained with an initial five-in-one vaccine, followed by cider vinegar and occasionally mineral licks.

The herd is grass fed, topped up by hay and silage.

Susan said customers often questioned whether the cattle were grass-finished.

“People who generally buy our beef are already converted to organic and clean eating,” she said.

“But there’s increasing ­demand for clean food.”