About Bega Valley Eggs
The Farm
Nestled in the picturesque village of Kameruka, just 25 minutes from Bega, NSW, Bega Valley Eggs is a regenerative farm dedicated to sustainable practices. Our farm is embraced by majestic mountains and a lush eucalypt forest to the north, offering breathtaking views of Brown Mountain, the western gateway to the Bega Valley, especially at sunset.
Our Farming Family
We’re Tom and Joscelin McMillan, proud owners of Bega Valley Eggs. Alongside a small team of passionate staff and with our two young children in tow, we dedicate ourselves to nurturing and improving our land, ensuring it thrives under regenerative farming practices. Bega Valley Eggs was established in 2016, and in 2019, we took over the business after being raving fans ourselves.
Our Farming Practices
Freedom to Roam and Forage
Our hens are free to roam, scratch, and dust bathe, just as chickens should. They’re fed a nutritious blend of grain and a premium pellet to meet their complex nutritional requirements, while also spending their days foraging on a natural diet of insects and grasses.
Portable Housing for Healthy Land
In the evenings, our hens roost in purpose-built, portable houses that we move through the pasture each week. This not only fertilizes the land with invaluable manure but also enhances the quality and quantity of topsoil. Moving their housing regularly is the pinnacle of our holistic management practices, as it spreads their nutrient-rich manure evenly across the pasture, regenerating the land and keeping their environment clean.
Superior Stocking Density
We proudly maintain a stocking density of no more than 300 birds per hectare, giving our hens plenty of room to roam and graze on fresh grass. In comparison, industrial free-range standards allow up to 10,000 hens per hectare, making our approach far more beneficial for animal welfare and land health.
Happy Hens, Protected and Safe
Our hens are incredibly healthy and happy, kept safe from predators with electrified poultry netting and the watchful care of our Maremma sheepdogs.
Our Eggs
The Premium Difference
Our eggs are truly pasture-raised, free-range, reflecting our dedication to producing the highest-quality eggs while prioritising the welfare of our hens. This commitment to allowing our hens to roam freely on pasture ensures a superior product that’s unmatched in taste and quality.
Taste the Sunshine
If you’ve never eaten an egg from a hen raised on sunshine, bugs, and grass, then you're in for a treat! Our deep yellow and orange, gooey yolks stand tall within their thick, milky whites, delivering a rich, creamy flavor unlike any store-bought egg you've ever tasted. It’s no wonder that quality chefs seek out pasture-raised eggs for their exceptional flavor and performance in the kitchen.
A Chef’s Seal of Approval
After visiting our farm in March 2020, celebrity chef Matt Preston took home a dozen of our eggs. Two weeks later, he sent us this humbling review:
“Your eggs are still looking proud and fresh when cracked! Testament to your hard work stewarding an impeccable ingredient.”
Our Ethics
Prioritising Animal Welfare
Animal welfare is our utmost priority. We’re diligent with our farm management, cleanliness, and feeding schedule, ensuring our hens remain healthy. This approach allows us to maintain the highest standards of care, health, and happiness for our birds.
Custodians of the Land
We see ourselves as temporary custodians of the land, with a responsibility to nurture, care for, and leave it in better health than when we arrived. We believe that farming offers an incredible opportunity to help heal our patch of earth and regenerate the soil for future generations.
Challenging the Industrial Food Model
We believe the current industrial food model is broken, and creating sustainable and resilient communities requires change in how we feed people. Supporting local, small-scale, and regenerative farmers, and sourcing nutrient-dense food with fewer food miles are steps we can all take to build a better food system.
Transparency Over Certification
We’re not certified by any governing bodies, instead we choose to be transparent in our farming practices. Please, give us a call, pay us a visit, ask all your questions and get to know us!