Show Notes
This week on the podcast, our guest is Jacob Wolki, owner of Wolki Farms and a 24-hour contactless butcher shop.
Initially, Jacob took over his father's hobby farm to provide his family with fresh eggs and beef, in a shift to a healthier lifestyle and better-quality food .
"I've always been plagued with skin issues and respiratory allergies and stomach issues my whole life,” says Jake. “And my wife, who's very conscientious and very healthy, said, well, maybe it's time to stop stuffing your face with iced coffees and KFC and honey chicken at the local noodle box and start eating a bit better.”
"I thought, "I'm going to try to raise a bit of my beef," because I wasn't satisfied with the local beef that was available to me. I wanted grass-fed and finished. I wanted it from animals that hadn't been dependent on pharmaceuticals that include drenching, and I just couldn't find it.”
Jacob finished his first beef cattle and was inspired to do more. “When I went to process my first body of beef and put it through the local butcher shop, I realised, maybe I'll do two and try to sell the second one, and it’ll pay for the processing costs of the first one. So I guilt-tripped, I begged, I pleaded, I forced all my friends and family to buy that body of beef off me,” he explains. “And you know, that was my first foray into farming.”
As he delved deeper into livestock management, he realised the farm could be a profitable venture. "It became very apparent to me very early on that processing was an enormous bottleneck.” As Jacobs's client list grew, he needed to use multiple abattoirs to fulfil the orders.
“I didn't want to be trying to manage meat coming out of four or five different boning rooms, everyone packing it differently and cutting it differently. So I knew if I wanted to have a go, I'd have to be able to process myself and package it myself. And I think it's a unique selling point for the business. I don't know anyone else that has done this." That meat is now sold to high-end restaurants, boutique grocery stores, through online sales and most impressively, through his 24-hour contactless butcher shop.
The 24-hour butcher shop, a reflection of Jacob's innovation, operates through a walk-in vending machine system and a simple app. Jacob uses the same technology 24-hour gyms use, which we think is pretty ingenious, and the sales are proof that customers like this accessibility, too.
Jacob's story underscores the importance of continuous learning and innovative thinking to turn a personal passion into a profitable venture.
Find out more about Wolki Farms here:
https://wolkifarm.com.au/
Head Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited, we help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best - info@nextgenagri.com.
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