Roger, the great-grandson of Sir Sidney Kidman, has farming running through his veins.
The Reid family – Continuing the tradition of rich farming history.
Together with his wife Lyn, and their son George the Reids grow crops and raise Black Angus cattle on Moroco West, a station located between Deniliquin and Tocumwal in the Riverina region of NSW.
The property is sited on the fertile flood plains boarding the Murray Valley National Park, with the Bullatale Creek meandering the length of the property.
Why Provenir?
As a beef producer my goal is to produce the best quality beef and the Provenir process is the best to achieve that.
Roger Reid
Farm Fast Facts
Farm Name | Moroco West |
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Farm Size | 10,500 acres |
How many cattle? | 750 – 800 cows, and 200 replacement heifer weaners |
Who works on the farm? | Roger and Lyn Reid, together with their son George. |
Favourite beef meal? | Scotch fillet cooked medium rare |
Why Provenir? | On-farm processing is the best way to maintain the quality of the beef we produce. |
Why we farm
It’s in our blood and we love what we do.
Inspired by his great grandfather Sir Sidney Kidman and his family’s farming heritage, Roger always wanted to follow in their footsteps ever since he was a child growing up on the farm.
Sir Sidney Kidman was an Australian pastoralist who acquired large areas of land in Australia in his lifetime. Born in Adelaide, he left home at age 13 with only five shillings and a one-eyed horse that he had bought with his savings. He worked as a stockman and later as livestock trader, and Kidman went on to build a vast network of connected stations from Western Australia down to South Australia. Owning over 100 cattle stations with a total area of more than 3% of Australia, he would fatten the cattle on the remote stations in the north, and bring them down the lines of stations to markets in the south, providing good feed and water on the way to sell them in top condition.
Roger has inherited his great grandfather’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for the land, while also embracing modern technology to create efficiencies in his farming operation, and to improve the quality of the end product.
Heritage
Moroco is an aboriginal word meaning “open skies”.
First settled in the 1800s, Moroco station was split around the turn of the century and the Reid family bought Moroco West in October, 1944.
The present homestead was built in 1927 and stands on spacious grounds with established gardens, herb lined paths and a beautifully restored open-aired butchery and meat house.
Roger grew up on the farm and later returned to Moroco West with his wife Lyn in 1990, to live and raise their five children.
The expansive shearing sheds and classic corrugated iron quarters, complete with an original brick baker’s oven in the kitchen, are a reminder of the prosperous past and many people who have lived and worked on Moroco West.
Reflecting on how the farming operations have evolved over time, Roger explains that the farm has had to become more efficient due to tighter margins, which has unfortunately led to fewer people living and working on the farm.
He also recognises that traceability has become very important these days, for two reasons: biosecurity and the connection people want with the food that they eat.
“ My great grandfather was Sir Sidney Kidman, I think farming is in my blood ”
Roger Reid
Livestock
Black Angus cattle.
Roger breeds a self-replacing herd of Angus cattle focusing on temperament, fertility and carcase quality.
On an average season, Roger will run 750 – 800 cows on Moroco West, with another 200 heifer weaners being raised as replacement stock.
Roger finds the Angus a good all-round breed and the cattle do well on the land and in the markets.
Livestock management
Low stress and grass-fed.
Cattle are grass-fed on native and improved pastures, except in times of drought when they are sometime also put on failed grain crops.
Roger employs low-stress handling techniques and works with his cattle regularly. They are put through the yards for monitoring and to ensure they are familiar with the process and calm when needing to be yarded or handled.
Inspired by fellow farmers passionate about the industry, Roger is an active member of the Deniliquin Beef Group. The group meets regularly on each other’s properties and participates in a combination of theory and practical demonstrations which aim to increase the diversity, productivity and sustainability of their farms. Through honest and open discussions on current practices and potential management techniques, the members are able to build knowledge and learn new skills from each other’s experiences.
Land management
Leaving the land in a better state.
Both cropping and cattle are features of the landscape on Moroco West, but whatever the land use, Roger is determined to improve the land so that he can leave it in a better condition than when he started.
Moroco West is also home to an abundance of birdlife including a pair of sea eagles whose huge nest, made of sticks rather than twigs, can be seen high in the river red gums which flank the Bullatale Creek.