NEWS
Now more than ever, community are connecting through food – they want to know the story behind where their food is coming from and support the hard-working families that produce it.
In partnership with PHCC and the SJ Food and Farm Alliance (SJFFA), Perth NRM & RegenWA organised a bus from the city to visit the Serpentine Jarrahdale region, with the aim to connect city consumers with local producers and provide information on how to support sustainable food production.
SJ Farmers Market
Our tour began at the SJ Farmers Market, where SJFFA President Alyssa Miller-McWha, Merri Harris, SJFFA Ambassador, Market Manager Sarah, and Co-Op Table Manager Leigh—along with an amazing group of dedicated volunteers—welcomed us and shared the market’s inspiring history. They led us through the co-op section, spotlighting the local growers and the incredible array of seasonal food available.
The SJ Farmers Market truly lives up to its mission of supporting local produce, with all producers carefully vetted to ensure transparency about the location of their property and the origin of their goods. A standout feature is the co-op table, which provides an opportunity for even the smallest producers to showcase their products. This unique setup allows producers to have a presence at the market without the need to staff their own stall, thanks to the incredible efforts of the co-op volunteers. It’s a fantastic way to support local growers while offering visitors a curated selection of the best produce the region has to offer.
Following this tour, all participants had the opportunity to buy fresh produce and wander the market, trying all the artisan goods on offer before returning back to the bus for our next stop.
The Natural Circle
We were warmly welcomed to The Natural Circle by stewards Alyssa and Michael, who run a regenerative farm in Jarrahdale producing pasture-raised eggs, extra virgin olive oil, raw honey, and seasonal fruit and vegetables. They shared their inspiring journey into regenerative farming and their involvement in the #pastureraisedinwa campaign.
Alyssa and Michael’s approach centres on working with the seasons to enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and diversify their income streams to build resilience. They are committed to maintaining green ground cover year-round, using cover crops to reduce wind erosion, and implementing strategic revegetation projects to support their vision.
Pasture-Raised Eggs
The heart of their operation is their pasture-raised egg business, where chickens are rotated weekly to fresh pastures alongside their mobile caravan. This system ensures the chickens have 24/7 access to fresh feed and water. Managing the summer heat has been a challenge, but Alyssa and Michael are developing innovative cooling solutions, including misting systems and shade provided by their olive grove.
The chickens’ natural behaviours—scratching the soil and leaving behind nutrient-rich droppings—enhance nutrient cycling and boost soil health when managed through rotational grazing. The couple performs soil testing twice a year to ensure they’re maintaining the land’s fertility and balance.
To maximise laying capacity, the mobile caravans are precisely engineered to align with the farm’s latitude and longitude, enabling automatic operation of lights and doors to optimize sunlight exposure. When new pullet chickens are introduced, temporary fencing helps them adjust to their new environment and learn the location of their caravan.
Through trial and error, Alyssa and Michael have learned the value of a gradual transition between flocks. This approach ensures a consistent egg supply, with older hens rehomed to local landholders once the new pullets are settled and laying.
With their focus on sustainability and care for the land, Alyssa and Michael are setting a shining example of how regenerative farming can benefit both the environment and the community.
Seeing how The Natural Circle operates, with its unwavering focus on soil, plant, and animal health, it’s clear why their pasture-raised, hand-collected eggs are such a standout product. Unlike caged, barn-raised, or even ‘free-range’ eggs, pastured eggs naturally boast a richer, more vibrant orange yolk, thanks to the hens’ access to nutrient-dense pastures.
While some non-pastured egg producers rely on premium feed with added carotenoids to enhance yolk color, pasture-raised eggs are the real deal—showcasing the natural benefits of a rotational grazing system. Alyssa and Michael are passionate advocates for the #pastureraisedinwa campaign, proudly demonstrating how this method has transformed their farm and highlighting the genuine difference that pastured produce makes.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
At The Natural Circle, olives are handpicked and pressed within 12/24hrs of picking. The olive trees are not irrigated, and production has improved since their chickens were incorporated. The hens move through the grove during the hotter months for shade, which conveniently provides fertiliser to the olives, naturally boosting productivity! With over 400 olive trees in the grove, Alyssa and Michael often call on family and friends to help with the harvest. Once picked, the olives are transported promptly to a nearby processing facility to capture their pure, cold-pressed essence. This approach not only preserves the oil’s exceptional quality but also strengthens ties within the local community by supporting regional processing.
Honey and Bee-Friendly Farming
The Natural Circle also sell their own honey and have several bee hives on the farm. During the farm tour, guest presenters The Wheen Bee Foundation Ambassador Gary Richards and Landcare SJ officer Drew Batty, discussed the importance of pollinators, Bee Friendly Farming and the principles of agroecology.
Topics such as biodiverse windbreaks, landscape rehydration (swales and contours), nutritionally dense food and short supply chains were also discussed over a tasting of olive oil and honey, direct from the farm!
We even heard about nearby 11 Acre Farm who are a syntropic and permaculture inspired property serving fresh ingredients to their farm visitors via their Cubby Café (and soon-to-open restaurant), childcare centre and event venue hire.
Alyssa and Michael’s journey has been one of growth through challenges, with plenty of lessons learned along the way. What stands out most is their unwavering passion and dedication to regenerating their land and offering the local community healthy, nutrient-dense fresh food straight from the heart of their farm. A farm stall is currently under construction and will be open to the public in early January 2025 so if you want to get behind the amazing efforts of The Natural Circle, keep this on your radar and swing by next time you’re heading through Jarrahdale on the SW Hwy!
Paddock-to-Plate Lunch
After the immersive experience at The Natural Circle, everyone was ravenous, so we jumped back on the bus and headed to the SJ Community Resource Centre for a tasty lunch made with love and care by a group of ladies lead by SJFFA Ambassador Merri Harris. We dined on artisan butter and cheese, fresh salads, lamb tagine and chicken curry, and delicious dessert of apple and rhubarb crumble, all locally sourced produce from the dedicated farmers and growers from the SJ region.
Before the bus journey back to Perth city, we had presentations from Merri on enterprise stacking and essential food security, and PHCC’s Mel Durack shared their sustainable agriculture projects.
Overall, it was a very successful day to see first-hand operations of the market and growers. RegenWA/PNRM are eager to offer a similar opportunity to more Perth residents in the future as we continue to raise awareness and bridge the gap between consumers and the people that grow our food!
This event was part of our Make Your Hectare Count! Project, funded by the Western Australian Government’s State NRM program.
Video by Simple Ben Stories
