In an age where food has become increasingly industrialised and mass-produced, a new wave of farming is quietly gaining ground. Regenerative farming seeks to restore balance between nature, livestock, and the land, serving as hope for those seeking a more sustainable and meaningful connection to the food they eat.
Leading the charge of this movement is Dirty Clean Food — an innovative online marketplace that directly connects consumers with farmers championing regenerative practices. These farmers go beyond sustainability, prioritising biodiversity, soil health, and animal welfare, creating a farming system that benefits the land, supports the people who work it and delivers healthier, more nutritious food to consumers.
The chicken farmers are among the standout producers in this network, reshaping the poultry industry with a radically different approach with pasture raised chicken accounting for 12% of the total of Dirty Clean Food‘s sales. While traditional poultry farming often relies on confinement and factory-like conditions, Dirty Clean Food’s chicken suppliers are forging a different path.
Sam and Steph at Rosa’s Ridge
Take Sam and Steph of Rosa’s Ridge, first-generation farmers in Rosa Brook who have self-engineered a one-of-a-kind portable chicken coup to raise their chickens. The portable chicken ‘chalets’ house just 7.5 chickens per square meter (a far cry from the cramped conditions of conventional poultry operations). These mobile “chalets” allow their chickens direct access to pasture, where they can roam freely, dig, scratch, and live as nature intended. This not only improves the well-being of the birds but also results in richer, more flavourful meat.
Further north in Boyanup, fellow Dirty Clean Food Chicken Farmer Ewen Nettleton has a unique story of his own. Raised on a third-generation farm, following in his parents’ footsteps wasn’t immediately on the cards for Ewen. Instead, he started as a teacher working in Arnhem Land and later in Malawi, where his perspective on agriculture was radically reshaped.
“When living in Africa, we witnessed poverty due to agriculture systems first-hand. You would go to a phenomenal wildlife park where there was a huge amount of diversity, and then right next to it would be a struggling cattle station, and its conditions were miserable,” he recalls.
After returning to Australia when the pandemic cut his time in Malawi short, Ewen realised it was time to make a shift, and the decision to leave teaching behind came with a newfound sense of purpose.
Ewen and family at Unison Farm
“It was a realisation that our legacy is how we leave our world for our kids. Yes, there is a lot to be valued from teaching, but I had this land without debt and thought, ‘What if I could do something with that?’”
Instead of following his parents’ path with piggeries and dairy cows, Ewen chose chickens, seeing an opportunity to enhance the land’s potential. Now, as part of the Dirty Clean Food network, Ewen is committed to raising chickens directly on pasture. “Regenerative farming is all about balance with nature,” Ewen explains. “Nature’s the best teacher. If the chickens stay in one spot too long, they get sick, so we move them daily, which also allows them to exhibit their natural instincts.”
Ewen admits, though, that the commitment to sustainability comes with its challenges. “Farming takes all your mental faculties. Regenerative farming can burn you out, especially with the daily moves of chickens. It’s always an ongoing question; you need to stay aware of where your mind and body are at for viability and sustainability.”
Despite the physical and mental toll, Ewen emphasises the importance of community to their operations. “The network I work with is phenomenal—friends, family, people who genuinely care about what we’re doing. Today, jobs are often transactions, but back in the day, you had to rely on your neighbour to give you a hand, which is how we work. There’s a network of people we can’t exist without.”
One of the biggest barriers to the wider adoption of regenerative farming is a lack of education and bridging the gap between farmers and consumers. In terms of chicken, Ewen notes that most consumers would not fully understand the difference between “free-range” and “pastured-raised” chickens. Though not certified organic, regenerative farming follows many organic principles, with a focus on soil health and restoring both above and below ground biodiversity.
“Commerical productions exist for a reason: high volume, low cost, but often ignore animal welfare and environmental impact. Raising chickens on pasture is more expensive: chicks cost $2.50, compared to a mere 70 cents in most commercial operations. The cost to feed and process the chickens by hand is also considerably higher but results in an end product that is better ethically, nutritionally and in taste. At the end of the day, it’s the consumer’s choice based on their values”.
That’s where platforms like Dirty Clean Food come in. Through storytelling and education, they help bridge the gap between farmers and consumers, explaining why regenerative farming practices are the way forward. Thanks to Dirty Clean Food, Ewen’s chicken landed on the menu at Rechabite in an exclusive 5 course chicken menu, in a collaboration with City of Perth for Plateful Perth Dining Series and his chickens are now delivered across WA and the South West region.
“Dirty Clean Food does an amazing job educating people through social media and other channels. It’s all about telling the story behind the product—why each farmer does what they do, how it impacts the land, and why it leads to better food on the table,” Ewen says.
To learn more about the regenerative farming movement and discover the exceptional offerings from Dirty Clean Food’s network of farmers, visit their website.
