Ever since Jamie Oliver hit our TV screens I have been thinking about food differently.  How many preservatives am I feeding my family by cooking with pre-packaged and bottled food? And why buy caged eggs when free range is more humane and worth the extra dollars?  So when I found Little Yarra Free Range Eggs at my butcher I was over the moon.  Not only do I love supporting local Yarra Valley farmers, but the packaging spoke to me.  It said honest, true-blue free range chickens lay these eggs.  So I took them home and have not looked back ever since.  You can imagine my delight when I read that they had a farm tour coming up!! So packing my warmest jacket and shodding my feet with a pair of gumboots, I was off. 

Little Yarra Farm is located in Launching Place (just outside Yarra Junction).  If you have been around that area you will know that it is a stunning piece of Victoria.  They are blessed with amazing views of Mt Donna Buang and green pastures as far as the Hume Highway stretches.  It is very distracting to this view-obsessed blogger to be driving in such beauty.  It takes all my willpower to keep my eyes on the road and not let them wander to the hot air balloons that may be taking flight over the Yarra Valley or the rolling pastures with cows grazing so peacefully.  So make sure you put some blinkers on and keep your view fixed on the country roads.

Arriving at the farm I was greeted by a gaggle of geese basking in the warmth of the sun.  It was such a chilly start to the day that I almost joined them to thaw out.  Meeting the owners Glenn and Sue was such a pleasure.  The work ethic of these two is astounding and so inspirational.  Imagine working 14 hour days, seven days a week, for at least 12 months? I am exhausted just thinking about it.  The property has been owned by the couple for 12 years and has been running as Little Yarra Free Range Eggs for the last year.  Their care and concern for the animals in their charge is impressive and they are providing a beautiful property for their chickens to run around in.  These chickens seriously have the most amazing view!!

Under the watchful eye of the Maremma puppies it was a pleasure to watch the flock frolicking together and milling around the feed trailers.  It is easy to see that they are not under any stress physically or emotionally.  The paddocks they are confined to are generous and spacious.  The lush green grass is ample and the chickens are moved every one to two weeks to ensure they are provided with quality fields on a regular basis.  This also allows the paddocks to rejuvenate and recover from the fun and games it has endured from the brood.

This family run business is a true definition of sacrifice.  The homestead has been turned into a mini factory where the eggs are cleaned, weighed and checked for cracks by hand.  With simple labeling comes simple means.  Meticulously, Glenn and Sue stick the labels ensuring the cartons are finished off with love and care, and for me this is what sings when you see the eggs on the shelf.  You want to pick them up and take them home, the label doesn’t just whisper but announces with confidence that these are true Free Range Eggs.

View my adventures over on my YouTube channel (Yarra Valley Life) or click here for my video on Little Yarra Free Range Eggs.