AFTER hearing 2019 statistics that 21 per cent of the population in South Australia had experienced food insecurity, and at least once a week 3 in 10 food insecure people go a whole day without eating at all, Keith farmer Robyn Verrall felt inspired to help.
It was also one of the reasons behind why she applied to become this year's SA Rural Woman of the Year.
"I really wanted to raise awareness about these confronting figures, and if you are Aboriginal, the risk is higher," she said.
"For a very wealthy country, it's frightening we don't have a solution for all these people with food insecurity."
Robyn and husband Christopher Bullen run Bully's Meats in the Upper South East, alongside their mixed farming operation.
They were exporting boxed beef, but moved into locally branded meats in 2012.
"Bully's Meats started out small to family and friends, but then through word-of-mouth our reach expanded," she said.
They now process meat packs, mainly lamb (up to 400 head a year), through a local butcher and supply "good affordable food" to homes in Adelaide and surrounds.
Robyn said through this time, they had also been donating meat to various people and places, but a chance encounter with Aboriginal services engagement officer and Bidjara woman Jessica Wishart at a Governor's Leadership Foundation Course in 2017 took their philanthropy to a whole new level.
"We would carpool during that program and a strong friendship grew from there," she said.
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"Jessica would tell me about the families that would often not have any food, so we started providing meat packs for her to access any time.
"Initially, it was spasmodic, but now we supply meat to 2-4 Adelaide families a week."
In early 2020, Jessica and brother Jordan visited home in Alice Springs for sorry business and realised the enormity of food insecurity in that region.
"While we were up there, they shut Alice Springs and the remote communities down because of COVID-19," she said.
"It was the first time we fully realised how bad food security was - how expensive it was, especially meat, and the quality of it.
One rump steak $62, while six lambs chops cost upwards of $50.
- JESSICA WISHART
"Kangaroo tail is a staple in our diet, which costs anywhere between $8-$13/tail in Alice Springs, but once it makes that trek to a community, maybe 150km away, it jumps to $49-$55/tail.
"One rump steak $62, while 6 lambs chops cost upwards of $50.
"Operational costs are so high for a shop in a community - they don't get government subsidies, wages are high and staff are hard to find, freight costs, even repairs cost a fortune - it's just not sustainable."
Jessica said it was on their drive back to Adelaide that the inspiration behind Kere (the Arrernte word for meat) to Country started to develop.
"We couldn't fathom that Robyn could sell meat to China, yet we couldn't get affordable meat in central Australia - surely we could do something," Jessica said.
Robyn said she was equally shocked about the meat prices.
"No one objects to paying for food, but what they have access to is so unaffordable," she said.
"How can you look after your family when 80pc of your income is spent on food?
"We needed to make this a more affordable transaction, by working with people that are prepared to keep those costs down."
Jessica said they started consultation and planning immediately (April 2020) under their new Kere to Country initiative.
Partnerships formed included freight companies willing to keep their costs fixed, while Foodbank, whose "values aligned with Kere to Country", also came on board.
Jessica said the Foodbank partnership worked really well as they needed affordable cold room space, while she helped establish the first Foodbank hub in Alice Springs (where she now resides) in July 2021.
"It's great that they're now here and providing a needed service that's incredible for our families," she said.
"They do provide some meat, but not a massive variety, so that's where Kere to Country still plays a role alongside Foodbank."
Robyn said since making the connection with Jessica, they have achieved about 100 meat deliveries.
It would have been more, but COVID-19 and heavy northern rains had hampered many efforts.
"We are starting to see a little more growth now," Robyn said.
"The break also gave us more time to grow out more lambs, as we sold everything over Christmas due to the high need for affordable meat."
We aim for Kere to Country to become a sustainable model that provides affordable meat for families.
- JESSICA WISHART
Robyn said last week their first 4WD mobile coldroom arrived in Alice, bought with fundraising money and part of the bursary she received as SA Rural Woman of the Year.
"It has already started its rounds out to the communities, further reducing operational costs," she said.
Robyn said Bully's Meats would continue supplying meat "for now", but plans were in the works to partner with the new abattoir being built in Port Pirie, further reducing freight and processing costs.
Jessica said they would also continue to raise awareness about food insecurity in the hope of garnering further support.
"We aim for Kere to Country to become a sustainable model that provides affordable meat for families, bringing about awareness and working with organisations, like Foodbank, to combat food insecurity," she said.
"We also have a pay it forward aspect to the business, that allows anyone to donate money to buy a side of lamb and we sort that for delivery," Robyn said.
- Details: Kere to Country or Bully's Meats pages online for donations or support