#25: The journey to creating Queenslands only Self-Service meat retail store with Kale and Karin Robinson from Butcher 2 Go

Welcome to Episode 25 of A Place To Call Home Podcast.

And welcome to season 3 of the podcast, to kick things off we chat to Kale and Karin Robinson from Butcher 2 Go. We chat about their journey towards creating Queens lands only self-service meat retailer.

Throughout this Episode we chat about.
- Working in a family operation
- Succession
- Getting out of the family business and going on your own
- Starting a fencing business
- Journey to sobriety
- Creating Butcher 2 Go
- What they have learnt along the way

You can find out more about Butcher 2 Go check out their website and socials.
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This episode is brought to you by,
Butcher 2 Go
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Transcript

Sam Fryer: Well, good day, and welcome to A Place Called Home, and thank you very much for joining us, the Robinsons, from Butcher to Go. Uh, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, can you tell me a bit about yourself? Uh, where do you live? What do you do? And you can throw in a few family stats because it blew me away.

Kale Robinson: Yeah. No no worries, Sam. Uh, Kyle Robinson. Um, uh, Yeah. From well, Living in Charters Towers currently.

Um, originally born, um, Bred up in southwest Queensland, southwest of Winton, on a hundred and 10000 acre cattle property there, Uh, in the channel country. And, yeah, got 5 boys and That's good. Body. Yeah. Just rearing them, putting them through school, do a bit of contract fencing, and, Yeah.

Got a goat farm out at, um, [00:01:00] north of Muttaburra, but, uh, yeah. It's I'll let I'll let Karen introduce herself. Now my darling wife, my first wife. 

Karin Robinson: So I'm Karen. Cal's pretty much summed it all up, but I grew up out near Homestead.

Um, mum and dad was married My primary years, and then they had a bit of land out near Pentland, outside of Pentland. Um, and, yeah, we met at School. We were high school sweethearts in grade 12. And then we decided to go our separate ways After school, he wanted to go out west, and I wasn't ready for that. So I went down Brissy and did a few things down there.

We, uh, found each other later on in life, and, yeah, the rest is history. 

Sam Fryer: You you guys have you guys have jumped ahead a bit there. I didn't wanna give away Try to add your highest school, sweetheart. I like that, but it's, um, so you guys both grew up in Western Queensland. [00:02:00] You know, you know, some of 1 of the best places in Australia, obviously.

But, um, where did you guys go to school? Where did you first 

Karin Robinson: meet? So Blackhill Thornborough College Yep. In Charter's Towers. I boarded for a couple of years, but Kyle did all his schooling boarding.

And then mum and dad moved to charters, so I became a day student or a day bug. Yeah. When so what 

Sam Fryer: year did you go to school? Board of school, Kyle? Um.

Kale Robinson: 4000. Yeah. We, Uh, Yeah. So we graduated o 5 Yeah. 2005.

So just 

Sam Fryer: from, like, year 8 to 12? Like Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yeah.

8 to 12. Yep. What was it like coming from Winton coming 

Kale Robinson: across to Charters? Yeah. Well, we were very isolated out there.

We were Couple of hundred k south of Winton. So never really had too much social interaction. Hadn't played any sport or anything like that. So I couldn't really catch a footy when I went to school, but, I mean, yeah, it was fun. It was [00:03:00] a bit, you know, homesick for the first 6 months or whatever, but heaps of kids were homesick, but after that, I loved it.

Yeah. Yeah. I loved it. 

Sam Fryer: Karen, I'm I'm gonna fast forward a bit because you guys got a pretty incredible story, but I just wanted to touch on so you actually went away to Brisbane before coming back out west. What did you what were you doing in Brisbane again?

Kale Robinson: She was modeling. Modeling. Yeah. She didn't wanna didn't wanna say it, but I I dobbed her in now. 

Sam Fryer: This is will you be the first model I've had on the podcast?

Yeah. So Thank you. Oh, sorry. 

Karin Robinson: That is very cool. Famous 1.

But, Um, yeah. So basically, I fell into the modeling world. Yep. And I didn't know what I wanted to do after school. I thank you.

Yes. I didn't know what I wanted to do after school, so, um, I just thought, well, we'll give it a try. Because I never was never really big part of my world, like, That side of things of beauty and everything like that. That was a [00:04:00] bit rough. And, um, but for some reason, this modeling agency in Brisbane saw something.

And, Yeah. I went there and not long after arriving in Brisbane, they sent me overseas for a bit. Yeah. 

Sam Fryer: That is cool. That it that's a whole another podcast episode itself.

Like, so So how many years were you doing that? Like, have you traveled around, obviously, a bit? Well, I just 

Karin Robinson: I traveled over. I did 3 months stint in Hong Kong. Yep.

That was my first contract. And when I came back, I was like, oh, this is like, it got a bit more I really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it became more of a business. Yeah. And I wasn't probably really ready for that. So but I ended up, um, working at the agency, um, being their model booker.

But there's a bit of a gap there, but eventually, that's what I ended up doing. And I really, really enjoyed that. So I ended up booking the models for their jobs, and Lila is with the clients, which was really fun. And I think they just really enjoyed a northern Country girl just to talk to, you know. So, um, yeah.

It it was a really it was really fun. And then, Cale [00:05:00] convinced me to move out west Go out fencing. 

Sam Fryer: You guys were still together. You're just doing a bit of long distance. Is it or you're still in contact?

Or No. There's a whole another story. Okay. We were okay. But no.

I thought it was nice to meet you. We'll do we'll do about 3 episodes on there. Yeah. But you guys are still obviously talking to each other, and then you decided to come back out west. 

Karin Robinson: No.

Well, this is where our stories get a little bit different. So, um, We always stayed in really good touch. Yeah. And we, uh, Cal did a bit of travelling after he went to school, which he'll he can have he can talk about that. But, Uh, we always stay really, really good mates.

And, um, after I come back from overseas, I sort of stepped away from the modeling a little bit, and then Became a PA for a principal at a real estate agency, which was really cool. I really am grateful for that opportunity because she was Probably 1 of my role models I put down as women in my life. And, um, she sold the agency, then [00:06:00] I decided to move back Up to Townsville because I just was missing North Queensland. North Queensland. Cale still claims to the day, and I think we'll argue this, until Our death beds that I moved back to win him back.

Yeah. That was his. I think that's 

Sam Fryer: yeah. Yeah. 

Kale Robinson: That's exactly what happened.

Sam Fryer: Just keep telling you 

Karin Robinson: something. Yeah. So because not long after I moved to Townsville, um, that's when the modeling The agency rang me and said, Carrie, we'd love to have you as a model booker. And then I moved back. Yep.

So it wasn't a very it was a very short time I was up, and then So that's why he claims that I moved just to win him back so I could mow back to Brisbane. I did convince him to, um, be stationed at because he was a fly in fly out to go to Brissie with me. Um, but yeah. So but then yeah. He did convince me to go out west after that.

Sam Fryer: So, Kale, what was your journey like after school? You said you you headed west. What did you get up 

Kale Robinson: to? Uh, [00:07:00] yes. So basically just went contract Mustering, like, day work for people and whatnot.

And, uh, then so that probably about a year or something, and then me and my cousin went over Canada and done, like, a snow season over at Whistler. Yeah. Yep. Snowboarding, and that was that was a big change. You 

Sam Fryer: and you and probably a thousand other Aussies.

Kale Robinson: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it it's hard to, uh, spot a Canadian in Whistler. There's that many bloody Aussies there, but No.

It was it was a fun fun time. Yep. And then come home, and I thought I better sort my life out. And, uh, I I started an apprenticeship, an electrical apprenticeship in Townsville. I'd done that for 6 months, but The money was not good Yep.

And light. You just It wasn't your thing. It wasn't my thing. [00:08:00] You know? I'm used to 12 hour days, and, you know, you'd work Card for a couple of weeks and have, you know, 3 or 4 days off or a week off or something.

But the every weekend off and going and partying, and you have no money left All the time. And, anyway, that's when Karen Hello. Was in Townsville, so our paths crossed again. Yep. And, um, yeah.

Then I was, like, had enough of the apprenticeship and went drilling flying flying out. And, um, So I could be based anywhere, so I based myself back down at Brisbane with Karen, which was it was, um, different down there. Like, The traffic and I could I could drive, but I only knew my way how to get to Karen to pick her up. And just she drives her. Oh, going down 1 way lanes and peak out traffic, mate, and they're going the wrong way.

And I I just I refuse to I'll just get out of the car and let her drive now. Anyway. [00:09:00] I prefer to drive. Yeah. Yeah.

To 

Karin Robinson: this day, if we go to the city, I drive. 

Sam Fryer: Yeah. I think, uh, I think I'm a bit the scammed. I think I scared my wife when I head head into the city and start driving. I'm not used to all these cars, but, hey, I'm gonna I'm gonna fast forward a bit.

I wanna talk on talk about you guys actually moving back to Winton. What what drew you guys back to Winton and what was what was what was the reasons why you moved back out there initially. Because you went back out there to work on your family property. Is that right? And start a bit of a 

Kale Robinson: process there?

Yeah. That's right. So I think I've just seen mining as something that, you know, it's just a job and Yep. It's not what I loved. I've seen no long term future in it, I suppose, for myself.

So I always loved the land and the country. Like, that was where my heart was. So I suppose that That was the best option to go back to my father's place and [00:10:00] and work there. And then, obviously, I convinced Karen to come out, The model from the city coming to Winton and out to the middle of nowhere 

Sam Fryer: How was that, Karen? How was that transition moving out to Wynn? Because that's a Yeah. That's a big difference from Homestead where you grew up in Brisbane. 

Karin Robinson: Yeah.

Um, so it's funny. That was what, you know, not that we told anybody that was my background, but small towns, they seem to be able to gather this information before I arrive. So everyone was waiting for this Cal bringing back this model from Brisbane. I was like, that's the last that's not the quest you know, first way to meet someone. But, It was I had already had the experience of mum and dad having the properties, and Yeah.

So it wasn't a huge shock For me, and I I actually love it. I I loved being from in the Brisbane, it's a bit like the concrete jungle. Yeah. Right? So when you go Out west, you really appreciate the raw beauty of it.

And I just [00:11:00] remember the sun when we were driving out and the sun sets, and And I actually still remember this day as a visual memory. Um, I would sometimes just head back to do some major jobs, uh, just like some like the peak times that get me back. So you're Still on contract almost back then. Yeah. I was still on the books.

Um, they when I left the booking job, um, they said, well, if we ever get any jobs, we'll let you know. And they did, which was great. And I just remember flying flying from Brisbane to Winton, and And then I remember flying in. I don't know if you ever been to the airport there, but, like, it's just like the the track going up to the airport. And As we were flying in, there was like kangaroos jumping off the airstrip.

And I could see Kyle driving up in these ute to pick me up. And I thought, this is so cool. Uh, but I I really loved it. And I love we really enjoyed working together, which, um And you were working 

Sam Fryer: with Carol's family at the time. How was that working in that family 

Karin Robinson: environment.

Yeah. So his, um, so [00:12:00] his parents aren't together. So it was just his dad Yep. Out on the property. No.

That's alright. And, uh, so he was probably happy to have some company because he was on his he's been on his own for a while. Uh, and Nick was very welcoming and created a nice environment for us there. He was very, you know, Patience, I did not have the skills, uh, as what most people would out there. Mhmm.

And I think I just loved Doing something new, you know, and then it was fun and exciting. A bit of an adventure. A bit of an adventure. It soon though came, which, Um, which came to realize that we probably couldn't stay there on a wage. So Is 

Sam Fryer: this about the time, Carl, you started doing contract fencing around the area?

Kale Robinson: Yeah. So this was a time when, like, Oh, there was a lot going on. Live export ban [00:13:00] trials. Yeah. I'm guessing that because we like quite the live Sport vignette, but it was very dry.

Yep. I don't think we really had a good season out there. But, also, me and Karen Had done some silly things like we had we well, we had we bought a Unit in Brisbane while we were there, and we also bought a house in Townsville. Trying to get some And asset Yeah. Exactly.

And Karen had a, um, house in Brisbane as well, half shares with her ex boyfriend. Uh, which Which I bought when I was 19. It this was the time when the banks were just handing money out. Yeah. Yeah.

And Yeah. Like, before the GFC. Right? So We bought these places, no money down, and, like, got ourselves into I think it was, like, 800000 dollars Yeah. But then on top of that, the banks overvalued my unit in Brisbane, [00:14:00] so I went and got a line of credit on that as well.

And so we were we had a lot of bills to pay. We couldn't just survive on a normal income from dad, and he was Struggling to pay us too. So we we decided we'd go contract fencing and, um Not our own business, Well, we worked for someone else for a year or 2, and then Yeah. Obviously, yeah, we started our own business. And, um, yeah.

That's when Sam was born. I think Sam was 

Karin Robinson: like When we sent the quote away to our first when we sent the quote away to our first client, for fencing client. For fencing client. 

Sam Fryer: For 

Karin Robinson: your own job. Yeah.

For our own job. Um, we were waiting for Sam to be born. Oh, Jesus. Yeah. And so he was 3 months old when we went out for our first Best job.

And we just we're in a caravan, and, yeah, we were just so excited. [00:15:00] We're just taking this newborn baby 

Sam Fryer: with us. And then meanwhile, Like Kyle was saying, you got all this pressure behind you from the bank. Well well, you would start having this from the bank 

Kale Robinson: starting up. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And, like, then the GFC obviously came, and it was, um Jesus. Bank values were really low.

But, anyway, we were happy. We we we'd hit the big time. We were contract fences now. And so then, what what did we do? We Well, we had a car loan.

We had to buy a car as well. Set yourselves up. Yeah. We didn't buy it through the bank either. It would have been some It was It's a car company.

But car company thing just to get the finance. And then we decided we were gonna buy cattle, And we borrowed money off Landmark on some Like, no. Ridiculous terms. Trading It was all those livestock loans. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. It was a livestock loan, but, I mean, it was very high interest. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. I think you had to pay it back [00:16:00] after a year or something. So, anyway, we were just making mistakes left, right, and center, getting ourselves into a lot of debt. 

Sam Fryer: Um. Look looking back now, like, you know, you were a young couple, ambitious couple trying to have a crack.

That's all you were. Yeah. What what was something that you learned through them? Was it just to, like, slow down a little bit, not have such a big crack, or what what was something that you learned along that process at the end of 

Karin Robinson: Um, just debt to would you say the I think we when We entered that world of investing. Yeah.

The the terminology getting around was using the bank's money and all that side I think so. We definitely have transitioned out of that now, um, in the sense of good debt, bad debt. What's your debt to equity ratio? Like, we definitely make more calculated decisions, and then it's like, should we write? Yeah.

Kale Robinson: Yeah. I I don't know. I think we were relying a lot on [00:17:00] capital gains rather than positive cash flow. And that having that negative cash flow really Nocturia. Um, dragged us down with the properties.

And with the other loans, I think you're better off waiting until the bank can give you money To get a cheaper interest rate rather than going with what whoever gives you money at the time just to get what it's probably a bit of patience. Yeah. We've 

Karin Robinson: had to learn patience. 

Sam Fryer: So what was the end result of of this? Like, what what happened?

Like, you're at Minton there, you're working away, Mostly contract fencing, all these debt debts piling up. Was it a turning point or a tipping point that happened? 

Kale Robinson: Um, not Not particularly in in a financial way, but we end we had another couple of kids, And so Cam wasn't out on the fence line with us anymore? 

Karin Robinson: I [00:18:00] said to him, when I have a third kid, I'm not gonna Yeah. On the fence line anymore, and we end up having a third child.

So But it'll be full on in the 

Sam Fryer: house over 3 yeah. Yeah. It is full on with the house, and I'll put it. Yeah. 

Kale Robinson: And round now is when the live export ban came Yeah.

And just crippled the industry. There was Very little work around. I think I was just working on a day rate I think for people. 

Sam Fryer: And I forget that I was contracting around them too, and I was just contract mastering. Yeah.

And I just remember it. I remember just having work, just no work. I ended up picking up, like, a gig working in the Shire, like, for the Shire of Sport and Repair. But it was around this time, it was like drought than live export. Like, everyone kind of forgets how hard it hit North Queensland.

Like, I was like, there were families that 

Kale Robinson: crumbled. I remember sitting on the back Of the ute with my mate after we just finished mustering, and we said, jeez. If if we could just get 2 bucks a kilo Yeah. We'd be right, you know? It'd be a good good business if we could get 2 bucks a kilo.

Yeah. [00:19:00] Uh, so, I mean, the the tipping point Probably was just I mean, it was more emotional. Like, I'd started drinking A lot. Yep. And that was putting even more pressure on the family environment and then working away More and more and more.

And, um, yeah. We kinda got saved by Karen's mom and dad, I suppose, in a way. They ended up buying a property, um, outside of, Ravenswood, which is down close to the coast near Ayr, and asked us to come and manage it For them, so. 

Sam Fryer: Oh, I wanna touch on and thank you for sharing that. Mhmm.

Like, your journey with like drinking and stuff. I wanna touch on that again. I think You guys just have so much happen in such, like, a short period between having 3 kids, the live export drought, and then actually [00:20:00] leaving your Families, property, and moving to Karen's. Like, in in the short space of time, it seemed like I don't know how much more you could fit 

Karin Robinson: in. That's a bit of a stress.

We were looking at the timeline, Sam and I think we started our business. Sam was born in 2011. We got married in 2012. We had Ryan in 2013. Then we had Jake 2014.

Now I think in 2015 or at the end of 2015, we moved to Hillsborough outside Ravenswood. So it was. It was just a boom boom boom. I really didn't you haven't really slowed down to send. Yeah.

Sam Fryer: What is it? What's the what's the saying? If you wanna So I find something you wanna get something done, give it to a busy person. Yeah. Okay.

I'll touching on, like, the drinking. Did you get help to stop? Because it I want like, at the end of it, you you've stopped drinking. You don't drink anymore. Yeah.

Kale Robinson: That's right. Did you have help? So probably That happened a lot like it was only becoming a problem back then, and then [00:21:00] I mean, it was a it was a full blown problem, Uh, I suppose It was just more accepted. Just Yeah. Okay.

It was more accepted out west. Like, a lot of my friends drank, and it was just the done thing sort of thing. But When I got exposed to different environments down on, like, the coast and And the comfort zone. And and different, um, Groups of people through some of the education stuff we did. Um, I realized That I did have a problem.

And then it's probably the thing like, in the end, it was either My marriage and kids was gonna be gone or You didn't stop. Yeah. Or, you know, I had to do something. And It was the toughest thing I've ever done in my life stopping. I went I went and done a it's It's like an educational program.

Um, what what was it? Landmark. Yep. [00:22:00] And that Sorta. It's a tough, tough program.

It really breaks you apart and makes you get to the Nitty gritty of your soul, I suppose. And, um, have a good look at things. When yeah. Good look at things and realize, like, it it's just Not worth losing my family and, um, yeah. I just I I always tried to cut down all the time.

Like, Cam was, You know, it up me all the time. So I'd slowly I'd cut down for a month or something, but nothing like, it's for me, one's too many, a hundred's not enough. And It's all in or all out, and it was just had to be all out, mate. So So how many years sober 

Sam Fryer: now? 

Kale Robinson: Probably, I'm not really counted, but I have a 2.

That's cool. Yeah. Third year, I think. Yeah. It will be.

Yeah. But I mean, Yeah. I mean, it's it's tough mentally to get your head around that you're a non drinker. But Once you get your [00:23:00] head around it, it's yeah. You actually start to realize how much people actually don't drink.

Yeah. You know, like, I mean, they might have 2 or 3 beers and that but they're not drunk. No. But every occasion I'd go to would be I'd be drunk. Yeah.

And I'd be the drunkest 1. Yeah. And it was embarrassing for Karen and, you know, it's but anyway, it's It's some incredible 

Sam Fryer: work that the The okay to say no. Yeah. Groups doing Shanawan and stuff like that.

Like, it's incredible what they're doing there because it is just promoting that that different culture in rural Australia, which, like you said, like, it's Sometimes it's who you surround yourself with. You get stuck in that group, stuck in that mentality where it's not just 1 drink, it's a hundred, like you said. Yeah. It's tough to break away and go out on your own. Yeah.

The 

Kale Robinson: bit the biggest Fear I had was, like, would I lose my mate? Yep. And that that didn't didn't really happen. Probably formed better relationships with my mate Since because, you know, [00:24:00] everything's real. It's not peace talk.

So that's been for the better, and I'm hardly even think about it Now anymore. So Thank you for sharing 

Sam Fryer: that. Alright. All good, mate. It's, um, and so definitely, I have a bad habit, Probably a good habit with this podcast is that when I find something interesting, I'm quite happy to ask questions and go on a tangent.

But bringing it back to You guys after Wheaton, you moved on from Wheaton, and you went into business with Karen's family. Is that is that what you guys did? Or what what was the process there that went on with that Ravenswood block and 

Karin Robinson: You guys. Uh, so, yeah. We, um, went and helped mom and dad run the Ravenswood block.

So you're just managing it at the time? Yeah. And with the, uh, there was we sat down at the table and worked a few things out of what we would get wage wise And when the property was sold because mom and dad, um, have had success in the past of, uh, going in and doing some work to blocks and then on selling. So there [00:25:00] was talk about what that would look like when the block was sold, etcetera. Um, but So which is when we moved there, it was great.

There was a school just 15 minutes down the road, so the kids could go to school. Yeah. And It's a lovely little community. Yeah. Yeah.

Yep. And but, you know, there was a big learning curve because, uh, a, it was different And country to what Kale was used to. Yeah. And, um, it was it's quite hilly. We brought 1 of our workers that we had working for us with us, and We were mustering for the first time, and he went to get a bee through this tree but didn't realize what it was.

It was a shiny apple. And he came out the other side all cut up, you know. So it was just a learning curve for everybody. And, um, but I suppose, you know, then we realized, um, because we were heavily involved in the Management side of things, where I'd pay all the bills and where you had access to the bank and stuff like that. Um, and Cal was on ground.

I was in the office. And [00:26:00] we realized that we we couldn't do the initial wage, so we brought it back down to 50 grand a year, Plus all your extras, you know, like, we don't pay rent and all that sort of jazz. But we the problem was because we had accumulated so much Of our assets that needed servicing, like, really, that, um, wage was probably going mostly On the the bills as such and, like, your extra living expenses, having a young family. And and but Really, moving to Hillsborough, um, was probably the massive changing point in our lives Because we were luckily enough to be introduced. We had a phone call 1 night from a lady who worked for NQ Dry Tropics, And she said, we're doing this program.

We'd love to have you part of it. It was to do with the reef, um, and Trying to reduce the sediment runoff into the reef, and we were in that catchment. So and [00:27:00] luckily for us, You know, and you gotta remember, we came from out west where We came from out west. Were that any thinking of towards regen ag or Yeah. Working to save the reef or anything that was not a conversation that we'd ever had 4.

And it was probably a little bit in the greeny section, if that makes sense. And no none of our friends would were into it, or we had, No. Never been exposed to that. Any of that sort of language. So when this phone call came through but to do part of the program was, Um, they would help with fencing, and there was infrastructure help there just to try and get the graziers started reducing the sediment runoff through grazing different grazing practices, etcetera.

But to do that, they had you had to do education along with that. Mhmm. And I think that it was been the biggest game changer in our life. Starting to get education. Yeah.

Because I think they did so well in the sense of not just handing this money over to do infrastructure, but realizing that [00:28:00] We really need to educate the graziers on why we're doing it, not just so they can just get a fencer. 

Kale Robinson: Yeah. So We got put into a 3 year program with RCS. Oh, yeah. We've done executive link, um, which is like you go onto a board.

But first we have Well, you do grazing for profit first, which is the wheat course, and then you go into a you get you go onto a board with another 5, Businesses. Businesses. And you're open with your, you know, financials and how the business is going, and you benchmark against Other businesses, and you can see how how you're performing in the industry. Yeah. Whether, you know, overheads are too high or Direct costs and anyways.

It's a 

Sam Fryer: great program. Well, mom and dad 

Kale Robinson: do them. We all Oh, it's it's amazing, mate. But it's it's I think it's like It would be 30 grand if you had to pay for it yourself, and we got it for free That's good. Just [00:29:00] because they wanted to, like So, like, the save the sediment Going into it was called Project Pioneer.

Yeah. Massive program. 

Karin Robinson: Go back to do you ever feel like that phone call saying It was free, which is why 

Kale Robinson: we did it. Yeah. Like, we would never have done any of this education unless it was for free, I think.

Just because we can't 

Sam Fryer: initially? You're like Yeah. Yeah. Just initially. But looking back now, what you've got out of those 

Kale Robinson: programs Oh, it's It was worth every cent.

Sam Fryer: Yeah. If you yeah. I think Just at the time you weren't exposed to it, so you didn't realize the benefits. 

Kale Robinson: Yeah. Exactly.

And, like, When you hear grazing for profit, you think, of course. Everyone wants to graze for profit. You know what I mean? Like, that's a no brainer. But it's not just, Like learning about grass and stuff.

It's about planning and goal setting and our visions and stuff and that. When we set Proper goals and whatever we Yeah. It it certainly boosted [00:30:00] us along. 

Sam Fryer: So during this period while you guys were there, You really educated yourself, upskilled yourself through the help of NQ Dry Tropics. And, like, there's some amazing work that, like, The natural resource management groups like that do, and supporting graziers and prime producers in different ways.

And and, like, it's great to give them a shout out because I think not enough people know that. Mhmm. But different 

Kale Robinson: opportunities There there's not much out west, though. 

Sam Fryer: No. No.

It it there is There are, like, you know, when you start where you guys would have been in Desert Channels. Mhmm. We're in Southern Gulf. Like, different catchments have different where they focus on different things. But I think, Well, to say it bluntly, they've got the reef right there.

Yeah. A lot of government funding goes into looking after that. So that's why they they they are they will secure cure a lot more money, to be able to do things like Yeah. Like the pioneer project and stuff. Yeah.

Um, how was it so You guys are working in the family business. You're doing you said you reduced your wage. You started doing all these programs, and and [00:31:00] you're stro you were you having a hard time servicing Your outside assets, is is this, like, um, what was it what was happening next with you guys? Like, what was on the next step? 

Karin Robinson: Um, I suppose, like, that's right.

And we you know, as we're always bearing driven, and we always had these goals that we wanted to Achieve, and patience never been our biggest thing. But we soon realized that we probably needed To have some changes, um, and we've as a as a family, as my mom and dad and us, we sat down, and we worked out a plan that We formed a separate company, and we bought another place out near Charter's House. Yep. And So we were in event now, we're actually on the books. So I think in the previous, we were just always there was never anything written down in concrete about what was sent.

So, Um, even if it's, like, for banks or anything like that, we never really On the way. Like [00:32:00] Yeah. Exactly. Like, on paper. Yep.

Um, which is hard, you know. Like, you know there's an agreement there, but on paper there wasn't. So which is great. So then we were able to, once again, help mom and dad form Form this company, and we bought, um, the Palomana. So that was Really then we had full control.

Mom and dad were silent partners in that, and they were really good at they were really good at that. Like, very supportive in that way. Like, they said, okay. Well, this is your shot, and we had literally full control. And, Yeah.

We were able to start really implementing all those things. Those are the past 5 years that we've been learning. And even though we were doing A lot of it at at Hillsborough, but there was a few things that we really really wanted to do, but, um, you know, mom and dad weren't Too sure about it. So it was really good. Like, we could just have we had we had a conversation with ourselves and just do it, you know, whereas sometimes you'd have to do the whole process before.

And, [00:33:00] um, you know, like I said, we're very lucky that we've had Supportive parents from Kale's side and our side. And, yeah, I think then with our Palomana journey Started, which Kale will probably go in a bit more, I think. 

Kale Robinson: Yeah. Yeah. So I I suppose With the education we'd learned, we definitely wanted to implement different management techniques, and It was best that we did that with full management control.

Yep. So that would that was It's probably what Karen said this week. We just Pat and Jenny were bloody nice enough to guarantor us into this property, Um, and we were in the company as 50 percent shareholders, and they were 50 percent shareholders. So we went To Palomana and but we were very, very cash poor because we'd only borrowed [00:34:00] against Their assets. So we had the full debt.

We had 4 4000000 dollars debt, and we paid 4000000 dollars for it. And we had our own debt, plus I think we only had, like, 5 or 600 cows. This is before Cattle prices were ridiculous. So I went back fencing again to help cover interest and this sort of thing. I mean, we couldn't really do much infrastructure there or anything.

We we were kind of I felt Like, we had very poor debt to equity. We were, like, a hundred percent debt. So, I mean, we were just So lucky that it was when the Market. Market, property market started to move, And Pat and Jenny sold Hillsborough, um, and we approached the bank To see if we could take full ownership [00:35:00] of Palomana, but the company. Yeah.

Of the company. So we owned that place outright, but the bank was not going to let go of security of Pat and Jenny. So it was going to hamstring them Yeah. A lot. And the market had moved, and we thought, well, why don't we just ring this bloke that we know that is looking for a place?

And he come and had a look. And, uh, yeah. We we ended up getting it under contract and sold it. We sold it for 6000000 dollars After 18 months. So that's but 2 years later, He sold that place for 12000000.

So we we It was a crazy period. No. It was wild. We captured They'll start Like a tiny bit of that growth and heat. Yeah.

Sam Fryer: So I mean, it's it was the pressure, But looking back, it was the pressure of the the cash flow and your [00:36:00] situation at the time. Like, you you kind of bit off a bit more than you could chew, so you had to reassess, get out. 

Karin Robinson: Well, Well, we also saw it as a An opportunity. Opportunity to okay. This will allow us to go completely in on our own.

Yeah. And, you know, and so that whole Process from being the manager to owning our own property, which is what we always wanted to do. 3. That could be a reality if we made that sale, you know? And even though, like, Carol said, we missed out on some money, but the journey between us Selling and buying our next property was also part of our where we got where we got us today because we were looking around at other properties, And then we got exposed to the goats.

And we would never would have got exposed to goats if we'd never sold palamata. So 

Sam Fryer: moving on. Well sell 

Kale Robinson: sorry. Oh, I just gotta add something to that. Like, when we did sell, we had cash in the bank, and it was It's time to breathe, and this is the time when I gave up drinking [00:37:00] as well.

Yeah. Because Yeah. Okay. It was like I was It's fine. It felt secure, you know, and it was like Weight off the shoulders.

Time to breathe and really look at my life and think, right. What what's the next step to, You know, go forward. 

Sam Fryer: Did you guys have a step between like, I'm gonna get to the next when when you guys next property, but, um, What were you guys doing this in between phase of selling it and what was the next It was what happened 

Kale Robinson: next? I think it was 8 months before we bought out at Muttaburra, But we just moved into Charters Towers. Yep.

Okay. And I kept fencing just to generate cash flow. And, um, That's when the kids started going to school, and we started settling in and really liked Charters Towers. Yeah. But then yeah.

We were also looking around Sniffing. Yeah. 4 places, but the market was Going crazy, and we were really I [00:38:00] was especially getting, you know, FOMO if we're ever gonna get back in again. And, Like, it was a bit scary because my father had sold his place at Winton, Pat had sold his place at Ravenswood, and we'd sold our place. So there was No No to the land.

No property in the land. Yeah. Yeah. And we were like, well well, this is It's a bit worrying because we really want to have some connection there, you 

Sam Fryer: know. I had a chat with someone else, like, you know, it's interesting the connection that people have to land, Like, being in agriculture, and you can always, if you reflect back, and if you're going through succession and stuff, you think of that, and you think of how your parents feel like giving up.

Yeah. That because once you like, you just said, like, no, there's no connection to land at that point. If if you're born and raised and it's party of blood, you are very lost. Yeah. Like, if you don't have that connection, you kind of, yeah, you kind of lose yourself a bit.

So I can understand the drive to get back in into something because it's it's very Patron, once you get [00:39:00] it, you can't get rid of it. So Yeah. What was the process towards working towards this next block outside of Muttabur? Well, how did that come 

Kale Robinson: up? Well, I mean, We'd actually been looking down around Carnamulla and Fargaminda because the land we thought was, um, Good value for what you could produce.

And they were running a lot of goats down there, and There was a re there was a really good gross margin in goats, like the percentages that they were quoting Of rebreeding rates of 200 percent and, you know, you could sell Wieners goats back then for a hundred bucks and You could buy a nanny for a hundred and 50, so you could more or less pay off the nanny plus make some in the first year. And cows and calves were, like, 3 grand each, [00:40:00] and we were like, well, We need it. We need to and and and you can run goats on reasonably affordable country in comparison to cattle. So We could look for that cheaper country and still make an income off it down there. And then we'll anyway, we'd ended up Circling back to a place we went and looked at Eastfield at Martaburra, which was very similar to the Some of that kind of mullet country that we'd seen with the Mulga and spin effects and different Just so much browse, bushes, and little bit of gidgee and stuff like that.

And We just were so dead set on buying goats that we just thought, right. We'll buy this. 25000 acres, I think. We paid, like, 1.8 for it. Something similar on the downs would have [00:41:00] been, You know, up 4, 5 Yeah.

6 probably. And that was well out of our price range, so We thought we'll just go with the with the less, like, Worst country in most people's eyes and run a different enterprise, and and then, hopefully, it would be the right Choice. And it made sense on paper. Um, yeah. But getting into goats is It's so different to catalits.

Yeah. I'll let touch on that. Some learning curves there. 

Sam Fryer: Um, Kyle, you're just starting to mention goats, and Like you said, why you selected the property down at Martaburra. What was it like stepping into goats and going from beef into goats? And what Made you make that decision? 

Kale Robinson: Well, it was literally a financial decision because we could buy affordable country And still [00:42:00] make a good profit off it with the current prices.

Yep. So, I mean, return on investment, we could do very well out of the goats. On paper, obviously. Yeah. But Well, the first biggest thing was that we had to fence it.

So we totally exclusion fenced the whole property, which is a a massive financial Jesus. And big job. Like, I think it was like we've done, like, 76 kilometers there of fencing of that, Um, high stuff, exclusion mesh, and then, like, that's without any help or from the government or whatever, no clusters. But It was we did it also because we thought it was very important to con have total Control. Management control of the grass because What we'd learnt through RCS and grazing for profit, if you wanna do a grass budget, you wanna make [00:43:00] Sure that that grass is still going to be there at the end of the year, not Yep.

Totally eaten by roos or whatever. So It it killed 2 birds with 1 stone. And, um, so that I wasn't then so then we just went So hard into the goats, like, bought I don't know. We've probably bought 4 or 5, 6000 Go. To get you guys going.

Just to stock it because we had some good years there, and we're looking at our grass budgets, and they would just There was just so much feed and 

Sam Fryer: Yeah. How long ago were like, how how long ago did you start going into Goats? How long ago was this? 

Kale Robinson: Oh, we must we've owned Eastfields for 2 years now, so pretty much as soon as we bought Eastfields Just hooked in. Just because we had, I don't know.

It had had a heaps of equity in we were comfortable because we'd been in so much debt all our lives. We We weren't scared of debt. Yeah. So we were happy to go into debt to buy [00:44:00] stock that was gonna make us money. And and, like, Jeez.

We were buying some goats from down around Charleville and Cunnamulla, and These goats were just wild things that they trapped, and we were paying a hundred and 50 dollars for these nannies. And, Oh, we could hardly get them in the yard, mate. What? They're just so hard to master. It's they don't move together as a mob.

They just They spread out in groups of 4 or 5, and, obviously, it's it's very scrubby country where we are. We spent 2 3 hours with a helicopter mustering 2000 acres, and we still missed, like, a hundred or 200 bloody Yeah. So so it 

Sam Fryer: was definitely a steep learning curve when you first start stepping in. 

Kale Robinson: Yeah. Ridiculous.

What are some 

Sam Fryer: of the things Though you changed, are you are you just harvesting the goats, or or are [00:45:00] you actually managing the No. No. 

Kale Robinson: So we're just harvesting We're starting to get a handle on them with laneways are A hundred percent necessary. Yep. So we've got lane ways up now and trap yards on waters.

Yeah. Okay. But recently, I've just bought, um, after that podcast you did with Luke Chaplin with the drones, I've bought a Drone with thermal imaging? Yeah. And so I'll be getting up at, like, 2 30 in the morning, going out to the paddock, And at night, it's funny.

They seem to be all camped in mobs. Like Yeah. Because, like, it must be a natural thing to For predators at nighttime or whatever, and it's quite easy, and they respond really, really well to that drone. You wouldn't think so. Um, just I'll just get up and muster them into a lane or a holding square or something, and, jeez, I'll tell you what, it's made a big A big difference.

And I've only done it probably, [00:46:00] you know, for the about 5 or 6 times I've done it, but I'll tell you what. I think it's going to be a game changer for us. 

Sam Fryer: So that save obviously, saved you the chopper cost and stuff like that with mastering. And that's the thermal camera and the speaker like Luke talked about it. You got a speaker that's blasting out?

Or 

Kale Robinson: The the speaker might I've got a speaker, but I don't use it. They respond well enough with the other. And I think that the speaker, you'd have to ask Luke, but it might drain the battery a bit quicker because it's got it's like a funnel Catching the air or whatever, but, um, so that's that's where we're up to with the goats. And just, you know, we Gotta start pulling the billies out so that they're not kidding all year round and, um, Try and just concentrate on getting more of that boar, keeping the boar nanny so we get a better meat yield when we're Killing and, um, I don't know. Just try and get it a bit more civilized.

[00:47:00] Break the wieners in and, Yeah. Be be able to handle them without look at like, drive around Yeah. And not just Have them bolt going. Run into the bushes. You never see them sort of thing.

Like 

Sam Fryer: So, like, touching on the learning curves, and I and I wanna start moving towards what you guys doing, but butchered a go there, but Initially, was this 1 of the struggles? Was the marketing piece? Is this why you started heading the way to setting up Butcher to Go? Or what what was it the What was the struggle? Because you've only got 1 place to send goats, don't you?

There's 

Kale Robinson: 2. There's so there's Charleville and Burke Yeah. As abattoirs which export 98 Percent of goat meat out of Australia. So there's not really a domestic market. There is huge domestic market, but no one's supplying it.

Right? Yep. Um, but what kept the goat market up so high for so long was the restocker market, and that totally Dropped off. No 1 was buying females or anything. So [00:48:00] then we were stuck with the 2 2 major It's borders, and they basically had a monopoly, and Yeah.

There was just thousands of goats around, and people were starting to get dry. And It the price plummeted from where it was, and people kept saying that there was a domestic Demand from just little little goat farmers that we knew around that, you know, the Different cultures had come out and killed their goats themselves and say that they, yeah, they didn't need to sell anywhere else except for the, um, different Cultures and stuff, and that's probably where the idea came from, um, necessity or just, You know, something to try and get rid of goats or yeah. Just I don't know. Just I've I've seen the idea on TikTok Yeah. Of Jacob Walke, [00:49:00] a guy down in New South Wales doing this butcher shop.

And, um, I said to Karen, that'd be a great idea. Yeah. And we decided, well, We need to test the market before we spend a lot of money setting up a shop or whatever, but Karen will tell you more about How it all went? Because she was the 1 doing the hard yards selling the goats out of the back of a minivan and Some pretty dodgy setup at the start. So yep.

Can you tell 

Sam Fryer: us a bit more about the initial starting off of Put You To Go? Because, obviously, you're you're wearing a Go To Go For sure. So just that's where it began, the idea, and Yeah. It's grown. 

Karin Robinson: Yeah.

So Go to Go was initially the, um, idea. And So like I said, we wanted to test the market first. Like, we've in the past, we realized that we've always jumped in. And so now it would be good just to To see if is it is it right? Is it real that there is a domestic demand?

[00:50:00] And so we just put, like, a Facebook post out on I think it was Townsville buy swap sell, just saying we've got some goats and which is interesting. You can't actually advertise for live animals or, uh, meat on Facebook Buy, stop, sell. So you had to do it, which I realized you had to do it a bit cryptic. And I was like, I don't think this is gonna work because I don't know if you realize what I'm trying to say here. It was just amazing that it didn't take long before the messages started rolling in asking for uh, at that stage, we're just offering whole goats.

And, uh, a local abattoir was happy to kill them for us. And just that was a learning curve On its own, like, you know, raising the animals and then retelling them is a whole different ballgame, isn't it? Because there'd be so 

Sam Fryer: much Around there, actually, just the killing getting them killed Mhmm. Properly, the, um, the health standards, the food safety standards, and stuff like that. They'll probably come in later with the put you to go.

But at the start, they're just trying to get someone to kill them 

Karin Robinson: initially Yeah. In the task. And then just just for [00:51:00] me being a bit naive was like the cuts Yeah. Goat. Like, what's good, what's not, um, where where's what, you know, sort of thing.

Goats are easy, though. They are. We worked at they are pretty good. And so what my routine was was we would deliver them on a Friday evening in a car park yet. And towels all the goods.

I know. I know. And, um, because the boys would play footy in Townsville on the Saturday. So and we have family in Townsville. So we pick up the meat In Eskise, I might add.

Like, it wasn't you know? Oh my gosh. So I would I would pick up the meat, Put all the in their skis, put the ice in, and make sure it's all good. And then pick up the kids with all and have all the footy gear in the back of the minivan. And then with 5 kids, I would go to this car park and schedule a time to meet, like, these people.

Yeah. And I'm thinking every week, I was like, Someone's surely gonna come and talk to me about selling meat out of the back of my car. [00:52:00] And but, you know, it was it was really great. I I it was so it was hectic, But we I chose a place where the kids would run around quite easily and safely. Well, you know, we waited for the, um, customers to come.

And I just got to know them, and they're, uh, just so lovely. And they were so grateful to be able to get Fresh. Fresh goat meat because they said, Like, I've heard so many stories about immigrants coming and they just because they goat was such a big part of their diet back home. And up north, especially, like, what they had What they could get was frozen product or it was inconsistent product because, you know, they might have got an old buck or a billy or some, you know, that had Add a bit of age, a bit of smell, and a bit of, um, chew to it. So they were just so grateful to have something that they could give me feedback on, which I loved Kidding.

And I love how honest they were. And they said, this is Carrie, and this is what we like, and this is why. You know? Um, so it was a bit of education process [00:53:00] Me too. So I'm so grateful for that process.

Before we start the butcher shop, uh, it was a good learning curve. And, um, I still my first customers are still customers today, So which is really cool. So that's because 

Sam Fryer: that was initially your minimal viable product, I suppose, as they'd say with marketing and stuff like that. Like, you were out there Pound on the pavement. Pound on the car parks testing this idea.

Yeah. Did you have the like, you said you initially had the idea of the butcher shop, but was this All at the same time, this kind of evolving, or is this, like, the initial trial? 

Karin Robinson: Or Yeah. What was that process? Yeah.

It was the initial trial, and And it's so funny because I'm always up, Kayla, about TikTok. And then now we've come across Jacob Welkins. Um, and so what after it was working for a bit, we realized that there is Probably a bit of demand out there. We organized to have a chat with Jacob, and he was amazing. Like, he's just so transparent, you know, which is Not everybody is about their business practices.

And, uh, we said but we were thinking that we like the idea, and what do you think about [00:54:00] starting 1 up here? And And he was just so great in sharing what he had learned, how he did it, and kudos to him. Like, this was from scratch, you know. Like, he Found the company for the app company. He found, like, how to do the pin code.

Like, the whole process, like, I was so lucky well, we were so lucky that We didn't have to think of any of that. He gave it to us on a plate, you know. And, um, well, yeah. So grateful to Jacob for that. And he was I only wanted to see us succeed.

And it was really, really nice, um, just, you know, the grazier support. You like that. 

Sam Fryer: So you found a shop front? Yeah. You initially went from the car park to a, Like talking to Jacob and you and you 

Karin Robinson: found somewhere in there.

Yeah. That's it. Yeah. That's interesting. So I, um, was delivering to some restaurants as well.

Mhmm. Um, with so they They wouldn't come to the car park. I would actually deliver to them. And this 1 particular restaurant I delivered to was on Charter Towers Road. Yeah.

And we were a bit early with the kids, and they had just picked them up from school. And I thought, well, it would [00:55:00] be too long To stay in the car, so let's go for a walk. And literally just down the road across the street was a shop for lease, and it was right next to an Indian restaurant. And not far down the road was an Indian grocer. Yeah.

And I'm not saying it was all around that, but that was a big part of their customer base. Mhmm. So I thought, well, maybe This is something. You know? And so I rang up the agent the next day, and he gave me all the details.

And we thought, well, We could do this. Oh. And we did. In September, we opened up the butcher shop. 

Sam Fryer: How does it work?

If I'm a new customer Yeah. Wanting to go in and get some of your amazing product, what's the process of me signing up or Yeah. To sign up or what am what am I 

Karin Robinson: doing? Yeah. Okay.

So most people go to our website Yep. Which is, uh, bush at a goo dot com dot au. I'll throw I'll throw it in the notes. I do. Yeah.

I I wasn't sure if we do that. So, um, there's there's a become a member partner there, and they fill out [00:56:00] this Form, it's base it's really simple. It's basically then their name, their number, their email, and they choose a 6 digit PIN. And beside the membership form is the steps on how to download the app. So it's all there.

It's all there. All there so they can be ready. And then that, um, Isn't sent to us. And I have, um, a really good woman helping me out in the admin side that that once it started growing, I was like, oh my Gosh. I really need some hand here to help sign up new members.

And, um, yeah. She's amazing. So we from Tuesdays to Thursdays, we Activate our new members now. And so that process is we, um, so you like I said, that pin is unique to you. So what you choose Um, is unique to you in the sense that when you enter the shop, it's time stamped.

So I can know that that's you entering and what time you entered. Um, then you will use an app, which is called Express Checkout. And that app scans the labels It's on the [00:57:00] barcode, and you pay through the app, and then that's it, really. Okay. 

Sam Fryer: So I just grab my bump or whatever I wanna grab out and scan it.

Yep. That's great. Yeah. That's a um, how often are you guys delivering? Or what's the process of delivery of getting the goats?

And now you not only do goats, you also do beef, I see, as well. So what's the process of getting the animals slaughtered and 

Karin Robinson: bringing them? Yeah. So, Um, like you said, when we started this, we realized, well, for this butcher shop to work, it wouldn't just be goats. I don't think it would be, um, enough, you know.

So we realized Then our mates were fantastic in saying that, oh, we'll supply the beef. Yep. And they're and we knew that that would be fantastic in the sense that they always have Apply. Because I think that's always a bit of a tricky bit when you're trying to do paddock to plate is with droughts and everything that happens in life, always having that consistent 

Kale Robinson: product. And it it's really high quality grass fed.

Could be. Like, no antibiotics, no hormones. Like, [00:58:00] it's just it's hitting that market of clean and healthy, which people are becoming more and more They want aware of. Yeah. And, like, it's getting harder and harder to trust these third party certifications.

Like, You can label meat as grass fed, but it's been finished on grain. Mhmm. You know? And it's The customers haven't got time to research all the nitty gritty about every third party certification that They just wanna know the farmer that where it's come from and and have that sort of certification from the farmer saying it's Hundred percent clean. That's good.

Yeah. Good straight from the paddock beef, and it's sort of a it's a growing market, and there's, Yeah. As people become more and more conscious of their health, it it's Yeah. There's there's demand there. Yeah.

Karin Robinson: It's also, [00:59:00] uh, the shop is 24 7. Yeah. So it's Members can go in any time. That and I think there's a lot of shift workers out there who are really appreciating the fact Yeah. They can don't have to rely on woolies or Coles because they can never catch a a butcher or, um, so that's been really cool too.

Sam Fryer: Um, so I'll just I'll just bring it back. So you get the goats and cattle killed down in the long reach, I think you said. Is that right? And then what's and then do you bring it up? What days do you bring it up, or how often are you bringing it up fresh meat?

Kale Robinson: Yeah. So I normally bring about 50 to a hundred goats into Charters Towers here. Yep. And Karen's got a little trailer. She gets 10 or 15 of them in a week and takes and we've got sheep here as well.

She takes into Dan's Country Meats there who processes the Goats. The goats and sheep. Yep. Then, um, because the bloke [01:00:00] that's supplying our beef, Peter Britton and Luke Britton, they bought the Ag College there at Longreach. So that's got that beautiful processing facility out there.

So It's a lot easier for him to get the beef or easier for us to get it killed out there And then just freight it in a box. Yeah. Freight is the biggest expense and the killing. The freight like, there there's not a good really good margin in the beef. Like, you know, you got a 500 say, a 500 kilo animal Yields, say, 50 percent, so 2 50, just roughly.

And then out of that, um, what is it? Like, 30 percent of that is bone. Mhmm. So you end up with 75 percent of the 70 percent of the carcass weight. And then there's only, like, 20 percent of that that is, like, [01:01:00] rump, fillet.

Steak cut. You have high quality steak cuts that sell really well. And this was a learning curve as well, working out How to cut this bloody animal up so people buy them. And, um, the anyway, I'm getting off track. But, yeah, we pick it up from Longreach, Bring it up on Thursday, and then Karen takes the goat, the sheep, and the beef to The butcher shop on Friday, and, um, that's it.

Once a week, drop off and restock. Yeah. 

Sam Fryer: That's, It's very interesting what you said about the wastage. Like, it and it is something probably a lot of people don't realize. Mhmm.

You know, and and there's probably that discrepancy and understanding. Like, some people always go, you know, why is the steak at the store, you know, 15 dollars or whatever, and we're selling for 3? It's because, you know, live at live weight. It's because of that. Yeah.

It's [01:02:00] because, like, when you get there, there's only 70 percent that you use. Yeah. And there's a discrepancy where Where whichever meat works you use, it's always a big discrepancy of how much wastage by the time your trimmings, your bones, and stuff gets out. There's not much of that animal that actually people eat at the very end. Um, do you guys actually and touching on that.

Do you guys sell, like, some pet meat or pet bones as well in the shops For, like, on that almost value added product, do you do you do you guys capture 

Karin Robinson: that as well? Yep. We do. We have a a special, uh, chest freezer Yep. That's It's designated to pet food Yeah.

And pet bones. So with some of our, um, product that we saw was getting towards the If it isn't moving, we would sometimes put it into the pet food as well. Yep. Um, which doesn't really happen as much anymore. I actually had a customer ask It's in a day if we're getting any more of that particular meat in for the pet food.

So it is interesting that people are wanting it for their pets and, you know, how [01:03:00] much Quality. They want to give to their pets. Gonna 

Sam Fryer: say, when you've seen the price of, uh, sausage dogs lately? 

Karin Robinson: Yeah. Yeah.

So it that's that's a whole another market too that we haven't really touched on much. We just, Like, this this shop is only really since September, so it's 4, 5 months old. Yep. And, um, the learning curves have been steep again. 

Sam Fryer: It's gonna be really cool, and this is what probably what I want to do with the podcast as well is come back to people because there's a couple of people I've Interviewed so far, and you guys are definitely 1.

It'd be interesting to see what the next 2 years bring, and where you're at or what's evolved from it, because it's such an interesting process. So what you guys are up to now, it'd be so cool to see what your where your journey 

Kale Robinson: takes you. Yeah. It's it's amazing. Like, Uh, we had some lady from she calls herself Townsville Eats, like a Yep.

A social Promoter for food and stuff in Townsville went in there [01:04:00] and done a post, which she has a lot of followers. So it's like, I don't know. I got 20000 views this video or something, and we had, like, 200 members sign up In, like, 3 days and just totally wiped out the stock. Jesus. And and it's It's a 2 week lag time that Yeah.

The hardest thing is knowing how many to kill. Like Yeah. Because because there's not a Really big margin in it. It's if you kill too many, You're gonna lose money even if you do sell most of it. Like, um, it's It's a fine line.

But it's but it's exciting because people are very excited about the idea of it and, 

Sam Fryer: Um, we touched on it before. It's that connection piece. Yeah. They know people wanting to become and consumers are wanting to know more about where their food comes from [01:05:00] and the health benefits of it. They know about eating, you know, clean, green, and, you know, healthy, not like, they don't want all the additives in their food.

Like, yeah, it's really Seeing what the consumer's doing and focusing on that and being able to see where their meat's coming from, relate it back to a story is such a big 

Kale Robinson: positive. Yeah. Yeah. And also, like, people say what what about theft? Because people could literally just walk in there, grab the meat, and walk out, And not pay.

Right? Yep. Have you had much? Oh, well, we No. We don't think so.

Yep. And, I mean, Jacob, he He's right onto it, and he's had no theft since he was been offer operating for probably 3 years or something now. But I think people respect that That we trust them. And Yeah. If they steal off us, it's going to be off stealing off a farmer.

Yeah. And we're able to price it at Lower than Woolies for the Woolies grass fed stuff, our our [01:06:00] prices are lower and we think better quality. Yep. Um, just because we don't have that staff issue, and we don't have to deal with people, Um, like, you know Yeah. I know.

I know. Staff, and we don't have to pay staff. So it it's a good model. Um, yeah. It's like a 

Karin Robinson: modern day honesty box.

Sam Fryer: Yeah. Yeah. 

Kale Robinson: For for busy Farmers, the hardest part about doing the paddock to plate is the time. 

Sam Fryer: The selling. The the the Farmers' 

Kale Robinson: markets, like you see people Yeah.

And it and it's hard to sell quarter quarter beasts because people don't I wanna spend 500 dollars at a time. A lot of people don't have that money. They wanna go in and buy, you know, 2 packets of sausages for Yeah. 20 20 bucks and then when they get paid next week, they'll go and buy a rump [01:07:00] state. Like, 

Sam Fryer: Um.

It's, um, it's a good point. It's it's a real it's a really good point that you're making around that. And look, I am aware of the time because It's been a long 1 this episode. It's been a great 1 though because I reckon I could've could've done a part 2 on this. I should've probably done a part 2 on this, but look, look, I wanna wrap it up because I'm, like I said, aware of your time.

But just touching on a couple of things that you guys have mentioned, and I always ask the same 3 questions. And I think the big 1 is like, you guys have actually done a lot of different courses between you. Which 1 combined between yourselves that you believe you got the most out of, that's benefited you most so far. 

Karin Robinson: I would have to say the RCS process. So GFP would be the because it was the first 1.

It was the first 1 that broke The mold. Mhmm. Um, break the thinking patterns. So GFP, and then, [01:08:00] Uh, EL would be the next 1 I would choose. 

Kale Robinson: Yep.

Yeah. I'd definitely say The whole RCS process from grazing for profit, including Executive Link and having that That mastermind group of the board is is very, very powerful. 

Sam Fryer: Have you guys had any mentors along your journey that have helped you out? 

Kale Robinson: Yeah. Definitely had mentors, um, other graziers and older fellas that, You know, they they've always got words of wisdom.

And, yeah, it's You're always running things past and past them and whatnot. And anyway, I I normally end up doing whatever I want anyway. There's no idea. I never really 

Sam Fryer: listened to them. Karen, what about yourself?

Have you had any mentors that have helped you out? [01:09:00] 

Karin Robinson: Um, I suppose because most of our everything we've done is together. Yeah. It'd be those graziers. But it it's also talking to the the women, you know.

They've got, Once again, those little 1 liners, those little bit of insights, you know, what's you just the the experience Yeah. Of being on the land, being married to a grazier, you know. It's not easy. You know, it's just, um, I think There's a lot of respect I have, especially for I I often think back to the pioneer women. Yeah.

And I just think, wow. Like, what they went through. What they went through just blows my mind. So we're lucky these days, really. But, um, yeah.

I think Family, definitely. And, um, those graziers that we've met along the way. 

Sam Fryer: I, um, I always think of that, like, the same thing with pioneer [01:10:00] women. I've got a My granny's like 5 foot. This little old lady, sharp as just cheekiest person you'll ever meet.

But, um, you look at her in A small sweet old lady, and you reflect on back what she went through at the time, like, they lived on up at Harvey's range in the hill. They'd have months where they'd be cut off from anywhere. You know, with 3 kids running around, and you're just like, you were 1 tough son of a gun. Yeah. Like, you you just but there you look at her, she's a sweet little old lady, and you wouldn't, you know, you wouldn't, you You don't, you know, we really, um, take for granted some of the journeys that they've gone through previously, historically.

Um, but, yeah. So shout out to granny Out there should be listening, hopefully. Um, what would be you know, I wanna get 2 answers here. What would be your 1 piece The advice that you give to someone along this journey on land ownership or in life.

Karin Robinson: I think my advice would be to have your vision.

Why are you doing it? I was to think that's Like, we've [01:11:00] had so many failures. Like, if Outside, if you could really put that down, we've had so many things that we've And wrong or made mistakes, but it's really been, um, we were never defined by those mistakes Yep. Because we knew where we wanted to go, and we did get There. So you never know how you're gonna get there.

Like, you might set that goal and think this is the way you're gonna get there, but you just never know. So I think really take that time and be honest with yourself and think, what do you really want in life? Where do you wanna go? And then talk to that partner you're on that journey with and see if it if they marry up together. And, So that would be 1 of my biggest advices is and also to the younger ones, I suppose How is the future generated?

And just if it doesn't feel right, voice it Yep. And Draw those boundaries in the sand a lot deeper, you know, [01:12:00] initially, I think. Yeah. That would be my 2 What about 

Sam Fryer: you, Kyle? 

Kale Robinson: Um, Yeah.

Probably something that I still struggle with, and I need to take more of my own advice, is don't look backwards into the past. It's it's it's easy to look back and try and Try and see where you would be. Like, let's say, for instance, that we could we probably lost, like, 12000000, uh, 6000000 dollars on if we had a potentially stayed at Palomana. And but who knows how that would have panned out, you know? Like, There is this 1 little story, if I've got time, I'd like to say.

I'll let you slip in. It's it's a little thing that there were this Chinese Father and son, uh, they're working this field. Right? And their only way to make money [01:13:00] is with a with a This old horse, and they've gotta grow these radishes or whatever. They're making bugger all money, but that's their only income.

And then the horse gets away, And the son goes into his dad, and he says, dad, that's it. We're done. It's it's all over. How are we gonna make money? And the dad says, I don't know, mate.

It's it's too early to call. I can't call it, and the son just thinks he's crazy. He's mad. Something wrong with him. Right?

But, Anyway, the next day, the the horse comes back, but he's got, like, 50 other horses with him. He runs straight in the gate in the paddock. The sun runs down, shuts the gate, goes back to his Chinese daddy, says, dad, we're gonna be rich. We're gonna we're not making bloody Ground radishes anymore, we're we're going to, uh, be breaking horses and get rich. Right?

So then, anyway, the sun's out There, and he's breaking these horses. Right? And, um, he [01:14:00] come he just got no experience. He comes off. He breaks his leg, and The whole village is like, my god.

Goes up to the father. He's like, you yous are done. That's it. You're too old to work, mate. Your son's Broke his leg, and he's like, I don't know.

It's too early to call. I can't call it. Anyway, So the whole village thinks that he's done. And then then the next day, 8000 warriors ride up to the house and say, We need your son. We're going to war with some other tribe or whatever.

The father says, I can't. I can't give him to you. You know? He I would, but his leg's broken, and then them 8000 warriors right off to their death. So, You know, it's it's always you don't know where life's gonna go.

I think everything happens for a reason, And you can't call something straight [01:15:00] away. You have to see what it is For what it is down the track, and, um, I don't know. That's the advice. Just don't look into the past, mate, and Keep going forward. 

Sam Fryer: Yeah.

I like it. Look, thank you very much for jumping on and telling a story as Karen whisked away a child who's running a mark in the background. But, um, the the joys, the joys. But, uh, look, thank you very much, and I greatly appreciate it. And, yeah, looking forward to see how you guys go in the future.

Kale Robinson: Right. Good on you, Sam. Thank you very much. I love the podcast, mate, and keep going. Thank you.