book.sorell - Flipbook - Page 9
JUNE 2024 - 9
Farm takes Leap forward
BRONWYN LISSON
LEAP Farm has been awarded Landcare’s Sustainable Agriculture Award
for its commitment to ecological sustainability and animal welfare.
Located at Copping, Leap Farm is run
by Iain and Kate Field, who have dedicated themselves to innovative farming
practices since taking over the farm
in 2012.
They specialise in Swiss Toggenburg
dairy goats and produce award-winning
goat cheese, as well as high-quality beef
and goat meat.
Their mission is to enhance the landscape’s ecology while ensuring the
health and happiness of their animals,
a philosophy that has now garnered
them signi昀cant recognition.
The Landcare award was presented to
Leap farm last month. It acknowledges
an individual or organisation that has
demonstrated excellence and leadership in implementing sustainable and
integrated land management practices
to protect soils, water, vegetation and
biodiversity in Tasmania.
“There have been some amazing people who have won this award so it’s
incredible to be recognised alongside
them,’’ Mrs Field said.
The couple’s innovative approach
extends beyond traditional farming.
Iain is an ecologist and Nuffield
Scholar that has travelled across the
world learning new ideas and practices
about farming, and Kate runs a podcast about regenerative agriculture, sits
on the board of Sprout Tasmania and
recently developed the skincare line
“Leapful Skincare” that utilises lactic whey—a byproduct of their goat
cheese production that would otherwise
go to waste.
Their ethos centres around sustainable farming which Mr Field sees as a
long game.
“It’s about resilience and making
ourselves as sustainable as we can and
putting ourselves in the best possible
position to ride through changes in the
climate and the market.”
The Fields’ dedication to sustainable agriculture and animal welfare
has previously been recognised through
various awards including the Small Producer Award in 2019 as well as awards
for their cheeses which further cements
their reputation as leaders in the 昀eld.
This latest accolade from Landcare
highlights their ongoing commitment
to improving the environment and promoting sustainable practices within the
agricultural community.
State winners will represent Tasmania at the National Landcare Awards.
House of Arras winemaker Ed Carr.
Wine’s
double
bubble
ABOVE: Swiss
Toggenburg
dairy goats
on Leap Farm
and, left, the
Landcare
Award.
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