Nguurruu Farm

What it lacks in size, this farm gains in heart. It all comes down to forging a very deliberate and considered impact on the agriculture industry. A place to talk, research, demonstrate and showcase different methods. This working property on the Southern Tablelands of NSW has an open door agri-tourism venture bringing this little biodynamic business to a much broader audience.

Murray Prior of Nguurruu Farm says the name was gifted to them by the local indigenous people, and the word means ‘camp’.

“The inspiration for it was from the early settler diaries that talked about the nighttime, when the whole landscape was twinkling with fires from camps of Indigenous people,” Murray explains.

Nguurruu is a little pocket of 220-acres north of Gundaroo. In addition to making a living from producing cattle and agri-tourism, Murray says there’s a big focus on land care.

“We fell into all of this as a result of me feeling a bit unfulfilled in my professional life.”

I was spending too many weekends away from my family.

Murray sought guidance from well-known regenerative farmer Charles Massy who helped him learn to run a farm for the first time.

“He helped us form a master plan, essentially for people who’ve never farmed before, to grapple with how to do it in a way that can be fulfilling for the family, can be economically worthwhile but also without flogging country.” One of the first things Murray did following that chat was to invite local Indigenous people onto the farm.

Bringing First Nations culture onto the farm and allowing that to flourish is obviously good for them, but we get so much from it.

That doesn’t mean to say it’s all been easy. Murray describes the land as undulating and having issues with water drainage after heavy rain, as well as fertility and over-clearing challenges. First Nations cool burn fire management has helped tremendously. Murray’s also building up the land’s fertility using biodynamics.

But to pay the bills, he produces rare breed cattle, Belted Galloways, as registered stud stock.

“Which means, that we’re selling 100% full bloodline cattle, mostly as live animals to other farms who have their own studs.”

“That means, we can run a small business that achieves a premium price, certainly over trade in cattle yards.”

It’s not lost on Murray that it also fits perfectly with the agritourism side of things, because everyone loves looking at cute cows.

The accommodation is called The Barn, a converted stable that has been architecturally designed as a boutique farm-stay.

“If you think about a farm as an opportunity to have a range of enterprises, it can more easily suit a landscape where you’re trying to have a focus on land care at the same time.”

Murray says most of his customers come from Sydney, but what’s surprised him is the wonderful conversations that are coming from the visitors.

“People want to know more about their food, wanting to get closer to the source of their food.”

Murray’s most unexpected take away since moving to the country, is the realisation that he’s just passing through.

“I guess it’s a shift from land ownership to land custodianship. And it kind of changes you.”

That knowledge informs much of what Murray does on the farm, and leads back to the name of the property, Nguurruu, the camp. As he welcomes visitors to come to the camp and learn.

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