“You only hear about farming when there’s a catastrophe…but there’s so much more to it.”
In the very first episode of Paddock Talk - The Our Cow Podcast, co-founders and beef farmers Bianca Tarrant and Dave McGiveron open up about their journey from a single Facebook post to building one of Australia’s most successful meat subscription services.
From bushfires and drought to nationwide deliveries and supporting over 150 producers, this is a raw and unfiltered look at the highs, lows, and lessons from life on the land.
Bianca didn’t grow up on a farm, in fact, before meeting Dave, she’d never even seen a cow in real life. After working FIFO jobs in the mining industry, the couple decided to buy a farm in 2017. The dream quickly collided with reality: strict lending rules meant they needed a 40% deposit, and the costs didn’t stop there. Machinery, livestock, fencing, and the day-to-day demands of farm life drained their savings fast.
To make it more challenging, the property had no power or running water when they moved in. Winters were cold, money was tight, and they quickly learned that farming requires more than hard work; it demands resilience.
Within months, extreme weather tested them. First came months of relentless rain, followed by years of drought that crippled pasture growth. Livestock prices plummeted, leaving them in debt and struggling to make ends meet. Then came the bushfires, first in 2018 and again during the Black Summer of 2019–20, burning much of their property.
As Bianca learned, the livestock industry offers little certainty. Farmers spend a year raising an animal without knowing the final sale price until it’s sold. And too often, farming only makes the news during floods, droughts, or crises.
Determined to find a more stable and fair way to sell their beef, Bianca and Dave decided to sell directly to customers. They posted on Facebook, offering to process one steer and deliver the meat themselves.
They had no logistics plan, no packaging strategy, and no payment system, just an idea. That first post, mostly supported by friends and family, sold out quickly. They oversold the first steer by six animals, prompting them to partner with other local farmers and a friendly butcher willing to process the meat.
Deliveries were made in a ute towing a cold-room trailer, covering hundreds of kilometres from Casino to Port Macquarie and the Sunshine Coast.
Demand outgrew their butcher partners, so they leased their first butcher shop in Coraki. They hired their first employees, including Robynne, a vegetarian with decades of meat industry knowledge, who became an invaluable part of the business.
Then COVID-19 hit. While supermarkets ran out of stock, Our Cow’s meat subscription service provided a lifeline to households across Australia. Orders flooded in, and Bianca and Dave worked around the clock, enlisting anyone they could find to help pack and deliver boxes.
The shift to online food shopping during the pandemic was a game-changer, cementing Our Cow’s place as a trusted source of quality, traceable, Australian-grown meat delivered straight to customers’ doors.
At the end of Episode 1, Dave shares his all-time favourite comfort meal, corned silverside with cheese sauce. A simple, hearty recipe that’s perfect for a family dinner. You can grab the full step-by-step method here: Dave’s Corned Silverside with Cheese Sauce Recipe .
Our Cow isn’t just about selling meat, it’s about bridging the gap between rural and urban Australia. Every subscription supports local farmers, promotes sustainable farming practices, and strengthens our national food security.
🎧 Listen to Episode 1 of Paddock Talk now to hear Bianca and Dave’s full story, including the tough lessons, hilarious mishaps, and inspiring vision for the future of Australian farming.
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
