Walcha Beef on National Television

New England Angus breeders Erica and Stu Halliday, recently featured prominently in the award-winning PBS documentary Grilling Down Under. This episode, part of the popular Tastes of History series hosted by celebrity chef Walter Staib, aired on the publicly-funded PBS channel in the United States and garnered a gold Telly Award. The episode highlights their Ben Nevis property near Walcha, New South Wales, and underscores the significance of Australian beef in the global market, with the U.S. alone importing over 155,000 tonnes of Australian chilled and frozen beef in the first half of 2024.

During his visit, Staib observed how Australia’s unique climate allows for year-round pasture grazing. “Animal welfare is probably the most important thing that we do,” Stu Halliday stated during the segment. A former veterinarian, Stu now applies his professional expertise to ensure high standards of animal welfare and sustainable practices on their farm.

The Hallidays emphasised their use of regenerative techniques, such as rotational grazing and cover cropping, which contribute to soil health and cattle wellbeing. Erica Halliday explained, “Cows have been emitting methane since the dawn of time. But the net effect of cows in well-managed mobs grazing grass is actually carbon neutral, and even net sequesters of carbon.” She added that isolating methane emissions overlooks the broader environmental benefits of well-managed grazing.

Erica also discussed the ecological benefits of grasslands, stating, “Grass is the most abundant plant-form on earth, but humans can’t eat it. Ruminants are the only animals that can grab grass and turn it into protein for themselves.” She highlighted the role of soil microbes in sequestering carbon and improving soil health, noting, “One of the biggest things we have learned is that there’s a whole world below the ground, and it’s full of microbes. Those microbes live on carbon.

There’s carbon in the atmosphere that’s doing bad things, but once sequestered into the soil through plants, it actually does wonderful things under the surface, staying stable for thousands of years.” Erica emphasized that the grass needs to be regularly grazed to thrive, explaining, “To get grass to do that, we actually have to chop it off so that it grows more thickly. You can either get a machine (like a mower) to do it, or you can use a natural machine – a cow.” This process ensures that nutrients from the soil are transferred into the beef, which Erica asserts is “the most nutrient-dense form of protein in the world.” She concluded, “We do not need chemicals in our food – we need our food as nature intended.”

As Staib toured the paddocks at Ben Nevis, he remarked that the whole setting “blew his mind,” declaring, “The future is here,” in reference to the innovative practices he observed. The producers of A Taste of History partnered with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) to film two episodes featuring Australian beef and lamb. The episodes spotlight Erica Halliday for beef and Tim Leeming for lamb, both of whom are passionate advocates for Australian red meat production. MLA executive chef Sam Burke also appeared, showcasing the versatility of Australian beef with a range of spectacular

Click here to view the award winning episode