From using cattle as lawnmowers to providing Woolworths with free-range, grass-fed beef

Thirsti chief executive Rob Hoatson said they went from using cattle as lawnmowers to providing Woolworths with free-range, grass-fed beef.

He shared this astonishing story with Biznews founder Alec Hogg during a discussion about his strategy and business growth.

Hoatson explained that they were not in the beef business but were facing challenges with their forestry business.

“Between all your forests, you have a lot of open areas. During summer, when it rains a lot, these grasslands grow like mad,” he said.

“You have to burn those grasslands as fire breaks in the winter. However, the grass is so long that you actually can’t safely manage it.”

Around 16 years ago, they bought 100 cattle to manage the grass and keep it shorter. “When it came to burning it in the winter, we could create fire breaks safely,” he said.

They then began breeding with the cattle. “One cow became two, two became four, and soon we had a whole herd,” he said.

They had an existing relationship with Woolworths through the Thirsti business, and the Woolworths chief executive visited the farm one day.

“The Woolworths CEO was with me on the farm, driving around, and he asked me about the cattle grazing in the grasslands,” Hoatson said.

“I explained the situation to him, and he said what I call lawnmowers, Woolworths calls free-range grass-fed beef.”

The Woolworths chief executive asked Hoatson whether he could buy all the beef they could supply. “I said, absolutely.”

“So, in trying to solve a problem with grass fires on the farm by starting a beef herd, we inadvertently got to supply Woolworths with free-range, grass-fed beef.”