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LATEST NEWS
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LATEST NEWS
From humble beginnings:
La Ionica and RSPCA Approved
15 MAR 2024
La Ionica places great importance on ensuring our meat chickens are raised to better standards of animal welfare, from growing through to transport and processing – and this is now easily communicated to our customers by the RSPCA Approved logo on our packaging.
When you see the RSPCA Approved logo on La Ionica products, this means the farms have met the RSPCA detailed animal welfare standards – standards which are all checked through RSPCA robust and stringent assessment and certification process. All of this drive’s meaningful improvements to meat chicken welfare now and into the future.
“The welfare of our meat chickens has always been at the heart of our operations, however with the guidance and support of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme, we have been able to enhance our farming practices, implementing a range of improvements to create a more enriching environment for our birds. From providing ample space for movement and natural behaviours to ensuring comfortable housing conditions, together we are dedicated in continuing to put the wellbeing of our chickens first.”
– The La Ionica Animal Welfare Team
While the RSPCA Approved meat chicken Standard goes above and beyond what’s legally required here in Australia, the aim is also to set farms on a path of continuous improvement. With every review of the standard, the RSPCA and certified Producers can continually work together to improve meat chicken welfare, all leading to our vision of a future of higher welfare farming.
Healthier to live
on the green.
20 MAR 2019
Our annual charity golf day has become a permanent fixture on the Turosi Giving fundraising calendar. Each year, this event attracts around 100 people made up of suppliers, customers, and business partners, who come together with volunteers from Turosi to support the Clown Doctors.
Over the years, we have built a wonderful relationship with the Clown Doctors and our golfing guests are more than happy to put their hands in their pockets for a good cause. In our travels around the course, we did hear whispers of some underhanded tactics of teams willing to ‘donate’ in order to gain an advantage over the competition. Normally, we would not turn a blind idea to such ideas, but when it’s all in the name of charity, who are we to intervene?
Congratulations to the winning team from De Luca Partners who took out top honours, followed by the boys at Blue Box IT, believed to have been boosted by our very own Andrew Christo – National IT Manager (that’s according to Andrew, of course).
The encouragement award went to Oz Staff Team 2, who took it all in their stride. It was pleasing to see more women on the course this year, in particular the ‘Turosi Ladies’ led by Yvette Turner in their vibrant attire, bringing lots of class to the event.
The atmosphere at our golf days is always a great thing to be a part of. It is a sentiment echoed by many throughout the day and is made even more colourful by the good cheer provided by the Clown Doctors. This year we had the privilege of having Doctor Fizzy Wizzy and Doctor Popoff on duty. Our golfers were checked over and treated with doses of humour by these very talented doctors.
It is a privilege to organise events such as these, that bring together so many like-minded people who are so willing to support important causes, without expectation of anything in return. Sure, they get to play a good round of golf and enjoy a fun-filled day, but the impact of this goes far deeper. The generosity of our sponsors means that the Clown Doctors can do even more of what they do best, that is, they are able to conduct more visits to more children in more hospitals. That is their goal and we are extremely proud to be in a position to help them to achieve it.
…laughter is contagious
The day was an overwhelming success with a donation of $28,700 being handed over to the Clown Doctors. This brings our tally to over $160,000 since 2011, from this event alone. That is something we at Turosi can all be proud of.
RSPCA Approved
OSI International
Foods (Aust)and
Turi Foods announce
a merger.
30 APR 2018
Today OSI International Foods (Aust) and Turi Foods announced the merger of their Australian operations, to be known as Turosi Pty Ltd .This merger will create a strong strategic alliance and will enable Turosi to offer a full range of food solutions to the market place. This merger will complement the strong OSI brand with the existing food brands of La Ionica, Bannockburn, Golden Farms and Colonial Farm.
Turi Foods is a family owned company based in Thomastown with facilities throughout Victoria. They are one of the largest poultry processor in Australia, supplying major supermarkets, quick service restaurants, specialty chicken retailers, butcher shops, and roast chicken outlets.
“OSI and Turi Foods believe that a shared ownership will enable the organization, whose cultures are similar to share their expertise to build a world-class food solution group. We look forward to bringing together the dedicated teams at OSI and Turi foods.” Sam Cuteri – Chairman Turi Foods.
OSI International Foods (Aust) is a privately owned company supplying major Quick Service restaurants, foodservice markets and retail outlets across the Asia Pacific region with food solutions across a range of proteins.
“OSI and Turi have each built business of strong reputation with the customers they serve. With the merger between OSI and Turi, we see tremendous potential to serve our customers in new innovative ways and offer more opportunities for our mutual teams to excel together in this new exciting organization, Turosi.” David McDonald – Director OSI.
Turi Foods and OSI will continue to operate their plants, out of Thomastown and Geelong Victoria, while further processed products will continue to be manufactured at Broadmeadows Victoria, Eagle Farm Qld and Blacktown NSW along with their various farming operation in Victoria.
If you would like more information, please contact Chris Turner at 03 9495 5300, John Flynn 07 3624 4200 or email at [email protected].
Turi Trust
name change
11 MAY 2018
Dear Turi Trust Supporter,
I take this opportunity to write to you and thank you for your ongoing support and contribution to the Turi Trust as well as to inform you of some significant changes in the way we operate.
At Turi Foods, we are extremely proud of everything we have achieved since we created the Trust in 2011. Since the beginning, we have donated funds to more than 60 different children’s charities, amounting to over $1M in donations. We have held four very successful gala balls and eight wonderful golf days in support of the Clown Doctors. We have purchased essential items such as hospital beds, special care nursery equipment, wheelchairs, and the list goes on.
Recently, we expanded the Trust overseas and are currently managing projects in two communities in Cambodia, including the building of a chicken shed which will have the potential to sustain a day care centre and school well into the foreseeable future.
Together with partners such a KFC and Melbourne Victory we have conducted countless hospital visits and special days out for disadvantaged children. Many of our members have taken the opportunity to volunteer and participate in fundraisers at each site and have experienced the feeling that comes from being able to help others in their community.
With the recent merger of Turi Foods and OSI, the Turi Trust will now officially become known as TUROSI GIVING. Whilst the reason for the name change may be obvious, there is a much more important reason for the change.
Previously, the Turi Trust was registered as a Public Ancillary Trust with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. As a result, we faced certain restrictions when it came to giving. Our status enabled us to give to other institutions which held the same DGR status. In effect, we were a ‘conduit’ for collecting donations and passing them onto other registered charities.
The Turi Trust prides itself on being a ‘hands on’ charity with the ability to respond to the needs which are presented to it, in a way which is compassionate and real. Many of the people we want to help are just everyday people in need. These people do not always belong to a registered charity.
Late last year, we began the process of applying for registration as a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI). We are very happy to report that we have now been officially granted this status. Given the changes occurring in the business, we also took the opportunity to change our name to better reflect the growing entity.
We are very excited about the work we can now do as TUROSI GIVING and hope you will continue to support our vision for the future. Together we are confident that we can continue to make a considerable difference to people in need.
On behalf of the Turi Trust Committee, I take this opportunity to thank you for your support and contribution to our Trust. It is because of your enthusiasm and participation that we have all been able to experience the joy that comes from giving.
Kind Regards,
Pina Di Donato
Board Chair – Turosi Giving
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ON THE TABLE
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ON THE TABLE
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MEET THE FARMERS
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MEET THE FARMERS
Barry
Schulze
SCHULZE FREE RANGE FARM, WINCHELSEA VICTORIA
This is Barry, he grows Free Range Chickens for Bannockburn. His picturesque farm is located in Winchelsea, west of Melbourne.
On the farm, he also raises sheep for wool, and grows crops of canola, red and white wheat, barley and beans.
Casting his mind back to when he was a kid, growing up on his parent’s mixed poultry farm in Grovedale, Barry says, “Ever since I was a little boy I have wanted to be a farmer”. His parents grew meat chickens, eggs, ducks, geese and turkeys.
At the age of 14, his dad became unwell with Multiple Sclerosis, so Barry left school to help out and his farming journey began. After two years on his parent’s poultry farm, the decision was made to close the farm and Barry moved on to work at a piggery for the next fourteen months.
Since then, Barry has worked on and around multiple farms, designing and installing winching systems for ventilation flaps, drinkers and brooders, general farming, and specific poultry farming before buying his current farm in 2005.
“I am passionate about growing quality produce. I enjoy designing and problem-solving to come up with better and more efficient ways to run the farm” says Barry. This thinking saw Barry make the move from barn reared to free range. “It feels good to see healthy looking birds running around on a tree shaded range area. It’s great to see the birds out eating grass and playing together. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of creating and designing a sheltered range area with corrugated iron fences to protect from prevailing winds.”
The chickens are currently overseen and managed by Barry and conscientious young grower, David. Both of them have worked very hard to achieve their second “Excellent” award from FREPA (Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia). This farm is the only one in Australia to receive two of these awards, they are currently striving for their third.
Although Barry has accomplished so much, it hasn’t always been easy. In 2011, Barry started looking into the feasibility of building two extra free-range sheds on his farm.
His application to the council received three major objections to the project and resulted in them refusing the application. After the refusal, Barry took the case to VCAT and won, but due to the high costs he has been unable to begin constructing the planned state of the art free range sheds.
Barry believes “it’s important that we as growers and as an industry continue to set the standard in proper animal husbandry which is good for the animal and good for the public. If you think you have a good case and good advice, I believe we should be willing to fight for the right to farm good value and quality produce in our farming areas.”
We thank Barry and his team for their valuable commitment to farming and the care they take with our Bannockburn Free Range Chickens.
Brian
Hepburn
GRANDVIEW FARM, MT. MORIAC VICTORIA
On a cold winter’s day, we took a drive to meet Bryan Hepburn and his son James. When we arrived, we were greeted with a picturesque view over the valley; in the line of sight were a couple of dams, an old fashioned water pump, and some sheep grazing in a paddock. Despite the cold, the feeling was warm and welcoming, precisely what you would expect from a family farm.
Bryan Hepburn has been growing chickens for Turi Foods/Turosi for the past eight years. His farm is an RSPCA Approved Farm. His passion for his work is obvious. He is a great example of the quality of our contract growers and the commitment they make to looking after our chickens.
Born and raised on the very same farm he works on today, Bryan is very proud to have contributed to the success of his farm which has been family owned for over 100 years.
It all started when Bryan’s family moved from Parwan near Bacchus Marsh to Mount Moriac where his grandfather bought the family farm. Following his grandfather’s retirement five years later, his father and uncle took over the daily running of the farm whilst Bryan attended high school in Geelong. Once finished, Bryan then completed a two-and-a-half-year Wool Classing course, which led him to seek out and broaden his experience with other sheering contractors in sheds within the western district. His father continued his efforts on the family farm and hired labourers to help him when needed.
Bryan then went on to try his hand at Share-farming (cropping on other neighbours’ land) for five to six years. He found cropping to be “up and down, with some years wet and getting the crop in late, while other years were too dry”. It was at this time that his father asked for a helping hand on the family farm and they sat down to earnestly discuss the future of the farm. There were a few options they could go with; one was that his father would cut off 100 acres for Bryan to build on and sell the remaining acreage. This did not appeal to Bryan though, as he was seriously pondering his future as he “had met a young lass and marriage was in the air”. At the same time, Bryan had been purchasing manure from a local chicken farm which had sparked an interest in chickens and was becoming more appealing.
Prior to Bryan managing the farm, the chickens were a sideline, taking up a small portion of space and time, sheep were the main priority and took the bulk of their energy. Over the years, the chickens grew into a big part of the farm.
Initially starting with two sheds, they liked the idea as they took up only a small piece of the farm. “I enjoyed the growing of chickens because over a year we would have five batches compared to sheep only having one lamb. Chickens gave us the chance to change something and you would see very quickly whether the change was good or bad. I will say the mix of both animals being on Grandview worked out well”.
“I always knew that at some stage I would be a farmer, but would have never dreamt of having six sheds with 225,000 chickens here at Grandview. Now the sheep are a sideline for the rest of the farm”
When asked about his passions, Bryan says proudly “easy answer; my family and their children, the farm that we have here, the animals and being able to get up every day and know that each day is different. I give thanks to my father and mother for having the farm and allowing Barb and myself to go to the bank and put up a case to build again”.
“The farm has enabled me and my wife Barbara, with three daughters and one son, to have a lifestyle that was rewarding and it was a family affair. The children, as they got older, would help with sheep or chickens. As they are now all adults, they will often tell stories of life growing up on the farm. Our grandchildren come out and we love to take them around and see all animals we have.”
Bryan and his wife Barb, are currently working through a succession plan for when they retire and hope their son, James, will take control of the farm in the future. “He is a very big help now in the day to day running of our business.”
We thank Bryan and his family for taking the time to show us around their farm and for the contribution they make to Turosi and the overall farming community.
Daniel
Vanovac
VANO FARM, PEARCEDALE VICTORIA
After the long drive from Melbourne, we arrived at the Vano Farm, a beautiful and peaceful farm nestled in the coastal rural community of Pearcedale.
As we entered, we could instantly feel a warmth as Owner and Manager Daniel Vanovac greeted us with a big smile.
As we walked around the farm, Daniel shared his experiences with not only farming but also his family history. He told us his story of coming to Australia from Serbia as a refugee and how he became a farmer. “We literally had $100 when we came to Australia in 1996; I went to school in year 10 and didn’t speak one word of English, so that wasn’t good for me.” The language barrier was a struggle and Daniel figured he could be more productive with his time. “I quit school, and worked night shift 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. I saved $14,000 dollars and bought my first car on my 18th birthday, after two years in Australia.” His success didn’t stop there, “I then finished an apprenticeship in boiler making, bought three trucks and a couple of houses, was lucky enough for the houses to go up in value and we sold them to buy the chicken farm.”
As we walked around the farm, it was very clear how much love and passion Daniel has for the chickens and how much pride he takes in making sure they are healthy. He showed us the changes he had made to the farm over the years, and how his boiler making skills had come in handy. He told us about how he welded all the doors around the sheds so the chickens could move in and out of the shed, and the shaded areas he had constructed so the chickens could keep cooler in summer and dry in winter. He shared his plans for the future and the more we spoke the more he shared what he wanted to do.
Daniel loves farming as it gives him a great lifestyle to spend more time with his kids and neighbours. He loves watching his kids grow up and playing a more active role within the family. Although there are positives to the job, Daniel admits it is hard work, “growing chickens does take a lot of time, but they give you success in the end when you see them nice and healthy, free range, running outside; makes me really happy”.
At the end of our chat, we asked Daniel what the key to his success was, he said “from a young child, listening to your parents helps a lot. My dad’s advice was to always work hard, and respect everyone hard work will pay off” and he was right, “22 years later, here we are, hard work will get you somewhere”..
Slobadan
& Sasha
Kuzmanovic
IBARVODA FARM, SOMERVILLE VICTORIA
Driving onto the Ibarvoda Farm was comparable to a scene from a movie; tall trees lining the driveway letting glimpses of sun through, cows happily eating the grass in the paddock on the left, and the fresh air welcoming you to the countryside.
As we walked through the gates, we were met by Slobadan and Sasha Kuzmanovic, the uncle and nephew pair that own and manage the farm. Originally from Serbia, Slobadan migrated to Australia over 30 years ago with his parents and bought his first farm in 1985. Farming has been a family affair for Slobadan, initially with his father, and now on his second farm which is managed by his nephew Sasha.
Walking through the property, we chatted about life on the farm and why there’s no place they would rather be. “It’s not work, it’s a lifestyle and a living, you have to enjoy it”. Sasha loves the balance of work and spending time with his family “I watch my son ride his motorbike; he has a little pee wee 50”.
They both agree that passion is an essential part of being a farmer, “you have to love it because if you don’t, it gets on top of you, then you just don’t want to do it” says Sasha “if you enjoy it and it’s a passion, you’ll be doing it for the rest of your life.”
Sasha and Slobadan work hard to make sure their birds are happy and healthy; their farm is RSPCA approved and they work with Turosi staff to ensure farm conditions are optimal.
“Being RSPCA approved means there’s more room for the chickens. We are very focussed on bird safety and bird health, we make sure our birds are well looked after. Turosi also come and check on the farm every couple of weeks, as well as the RSPCA doing their checks.” comments Slobadan
“Looking after an animal is like bringing up a child; it has a life, we look after them as best we can.” Slobadan has been in the chicken industry for 25 years after migrating from Serbia, “we put in a great deal of effort into raising our chickens; our future depends on producing good quality chickens and we are proud of what we produce, there’s no better feeling than seeing them grow to a high quality standard.”
Sasha and Slobadan Kuzmanovic are yet another example of the passionate farmers we have raising birds for us at Turosi.
We love visiting our farms; it just reinforces how many great people we have contributing to our business; people who take pride in the part they play in the overall process of bringing food from the farm to the table.
We are extremely grateful for their hospitality during our visit. We congratulate them on the presentation of their farm and their commitment to taking such great care of our animals.
Turosi
Northern Breeder
Operations
DAVID EASTWOOD AND TEAM, NAGAMBIE VICTORIA
The picture perfect town of Nagambie is situated on the Goulburn Valley Highway, north of Seymour and approximately 120km from Melbourne. It is home to Turosi’s Northern Breeder Operation. We thought we would catch up with Northern Breeder Manager, David Eastwood, to gain an insight into this part of the business.
Northern Breeders consist of two sites, one at Nagambie and one at Stewarton (Myers). The Nagambie complex consists of 4 x 6 shed farms, two are production farms and two are rearing farms. Myers has 2 x 4 shed farms, both production farms.
The Nagambie production farms currently place around 80,000 females and 11,000 males, Myers place 60,000 and 8,000 males. We are, however, planning to reduce these numbers for future flocks. All production farms in Northern Breeders are fully automated from the nest box, direct to the packing room and into the egg tray. At peak production, a Nagambie farm settable egg output is around 460,000 per week, with Myers producing around 355,000.
Our biggest challenge is controlling the number of eggs the hens lay on the litter. With the current bird numbers, floor egg numbers can be high and the farms need to maintain a large workforce to collect these eggs. However, the reduction of hens programmed for future flocks and an ongoing program of installing nest box lights will have a reducing impact in the future.
Each of the two rearing farms alternate between a Nagambie flock and then a Myers flock. The chickens arrive from Aviagen’s hatchery as day olds; they are reared for 22 weeks before being transferred to the production farms.
During this rearing period, the birds are graded at age 3-4 weeks; every bird is manually picked up at 8, 10 and 15 weeks for their various health checks.
“We are always looking for ways to become more efficient. Normally, once a flock has been depleted, we use contractors to wash the poultry sheds, this is an expensive exercise and we thought we could do the job for less cost and to a higher quality. We purchased four high pressure wash pumps plus the required sundries for $20,000, so far we have washed two of our farms with savings of almost $30,000, so our pumps are paid for plus profit,” shares David.
We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in animal welfare, WH&S and delivering a quality product (clean fertile eggs) to the hatchery whilst also trying to be cost effective.