Sustainability drives all the decisions made on the farm. In 2009 the decision was made to stop using synthetic fertilizers and instead adopt an organic nutrition program with a specific focus on trace elements. This has been complemented by significant improvement of pastures and encouraging well established mixed species in the more productive country and nurturing some of the native and highly nutritious, summer active grasses in the lighter country. We have also been able to achieve an increase in soil carbon by over 60% since adopting these changes. The planting of medicinal eucalyptus for pharmaceutical and positive animal health outcome is just one more item helping the farm to build in its own resilience and contribute to finding natural solutions to modern problems.

This commitment to both diversity and sustainability was celebrated in 2023 when Mark was the recipient of an Australian Farmer of the Year award for excellence in this field.

We are fortunate to care for over 1200 acres of prime agricultural land on the Broken river: a mixture of rolling hills and highly productive alluvial volcanic soil opening up a wide range of possibilities.

Maintaining a good connection to the land is one of the most rewarding things about farming and to see the resulting quality of products is a true reflection of how one manages the land.
Both wine and other produce from Yin Barun finds itself in some of the best restaurants in Melbourne including Omnia, Yugen, Supernormal, Maha and the newly opened Cote Basque to name a few. So we are very excited to now share our beef direct to you through Provineer.

Cattle have been run on the Yin Barun farm for the last 70 years with a focus on Aberdeen Angus.
Numbers consistently sit at around 150 breeders, it is a closed herd with only bulls sourced locally brought onto the farm. Sean has taken the role of genetic selection and has a prime focus on quiet temperament and ease of calving. This has been further refined with scanning for IMF to retain the best performers on a grass fed diet.

Yin Barun translates to "Good Water" in the local Taungurung language, this crystal clear spring water is available to the stock throughout the farm as well as being the primary drinking water for the Homesteads.

Access to high quality drinking water combined with improvements in pasture diversity and nutrition have paid dividends maintaining optimum stock health. Regular testing of worm levels has consistently highlighted a natural resistance resulting in most of the herd going their whole life without any chemical intervention or drench treatments.

The diverse topography of Yin Barun allows the first calvers to stay fit and healthy to assist in ease of calving. This has resulted in only one assisted birth in the last 10 years.