Taking control of quality
30 YEARS OF FAMILY FARMING YIELDS AWARD-WINNING PORK
In a market where consumers are becoming increasingly aware of animal welfare, food quality and ethics, it can be tough to keep them happy. For award-winning family pork producing outfit Merivale Farms, the best way to ensure their pork consistently remains a highquality product - sought after by consumers and restaurants alike was to take charge of the whole production from farrow to finish.
Company director Don Scheid and his wife Lea-Ann have farmed at Merivale Farms on the Darling Downs for more than 30 years, with son Scott joining the operation with his wife Jemma when he was 21.
In 2016, Scott took over the management role from Don at Merivale’s Allora Breeding Unit, while Jemma took over accounts management.
The close-knit family and their highly skilled team now manage a 1050 sow operation over two state-ofthe-art facilities in Allora and Bell, guaranteeing an uninterrupted supply of premium, award-winning pork.
Merivale’s approach is collaborative, to ensure a quality outcome: working closely with their customers, industry bodies and Australian Pork Limited to determine specifications and requirements.
Merivale Farms produces a quality, premium pork product.
The animals’ feed comprises a careful blend of the highest quality grains, specially formulated by nutritionists to promote optimal development.
With close attention to details such as ensuring the operation is free of gestation stalls and accredited with the Australian Pork Industry Quality Program and PigPass, the future for this wonderful family business looks bright.