Our Farm's Story
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Mulloon Creek Natural Farms are located 40 minutes east of Canberra and 3 hours from Sydney. Founded by Tony Coote AM on the farm he owned for over 50 years, MCNF is operated on the principles of holistic, biodynamic farming and is 100% certified organic.
Tony’s vision was to run his property in harmony with nature and create a commercially successful example of regenerative agriculture, then share that knowledge widely so others could benefit. He wanted to help his fellow farmers by sharing the knowledge he’d acquired over decades of practical farming using biodynamic and organic farming principles.
One of the key elements of Tony’s approach to land management was Natural Sequence Farming, as pioneered by Peter Andrews OAM.
Working closely with Peter, Tony piloted a landscape regeneration project on the ‘Home Farm’ near Bungendore, NSW. This pilot project restored around 3 kms of deeply eroded creek to reverse generations of degradation, slow the water flow, raise the creek’s water level and reinvigorate the adjoining floodplain.
The results were astonishing and instantaneous and recently featured in a highly popular episode of ABCTV’s Australian Story – ‘Hope Springs’. You can view the episode online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4OBcRHX1Bc.
Expanding the focus of improving soil quality, Tony began running cattle and poultry together. The poultry manure fertilises the paddocks naturally, while fodder crops are grown in resting paddocks to reduce excess nitrogen and provide excellent cattle feed. The result is two complimentary farming operations grown on completely holistic farming principles with chickens grazing in open paddocks and improving the fertility of our farmlands in the process!
Tony founded The Mulloon Institute in 2011 to ensure ongoing development of the farming principles used at MCNF. Tony bequeathed his farms to the Institute and all profits from MCNF are donated to fund its research and education work. This legacy provides a living laboratory and a working example of Tony’s vision for the future of regenerative farming in Australia.
The Mulloon Institute, in conjunction with local landholders, is currently working on a catchment-scale project to regenerate 23,000 ha of floodplain and adjoining land along Mulloon Creek. TMI also plans to help rollout 100 similar projects across Australia in the next decade and so boost our country’s resilience to drought.
This ground-breaking work has been recognised internationally by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and in Australia by NSW Landcare and the Banksia Foundation.
Sadly, Tony passed away peacefully at the ‘Home Farm’ in August 2018.
By purchasing Mulloon Creek Natural Farms eggs you are buying a first-class, ethical and nutritious food. You are also helping realise Tony Coote’s vision of ongoing development into regenerative agriculture and of much needed landscape rehabilitation across Australia.