Walk across Yallamundi Farm on a winter afternoon and you’ll see our hens moving between pasture and long bands of dappled shade. It’s a quiet part of daily life on the farm — but it says a lot about the landscape around them.
That shade comes from more than 318,000 olive trees planted across what was once open sheep country on Queensland’s Darling Downs. Decades on, those hardy evergreens have become part of the environment our hens live in every day, alongside open pasture, a natural lagoon and a creek that winds through the property.
Here’s a closer look at what all those trees are doing for life on the farm.
Shade and shelter, built in
Hens are sensitive to heat and exposed conditions, so genuine cover matters.
Across the farm, the olive orchard helps break up direct sun, giving hens shaded ground where they can forage, dust-bathe and rest through the warmer parts of the day. Our olive grove also helps to soften the wind, creating calmer pockets across otherwise open paddocks.
It’s one of the simplest ways trees change an animal’s day — turning a flat, open paddock into a landscape with more comfort, choice and natural shelter.
A home for more than hens
Yallamundi is home to more than hens. Around 30% of our land has been set aside to foster native biodiversity, creating space for native vegetation, wildlife habitat and biodiversity corridors alongside the working areas of the farm.
These places give birds, insects and small wildlife somewhere to nest, feed and shelter. And while that might sound somewhat removed from producing eggs, it all forms part of the same living landscape.
A healthier mix of trees, pasture, waterways and habitat supports the broader farm environment — including the olive groves our hens forage in each day.
Natural corridors across the property
Trees do more when they’re connected. Across Yallamundi, areas of vegetation help link parts of the landscape, including the lagoon, creek line and surrounding pasture. These natural corridors give wildlife a way to move between habitats, rather than being confined to isolated pockets of green.
On a property the size of ours, that connection really matters. It helps create a landscape that feels more balanced, more resilient and more alive.
Protecting soil and water
The lagoon and creek at Yallamundi are important parts of the farm environment — and what grows around them plays a role in keeping them healthy. Tree roots, groundcover and vegetation help hold soil in place, especially after rain. Along creek lines and waterways, plant life can also help slow runoff and reduce the amount of soil and sediment moving into the water.
Here at Yallamundi, we know caring for our landscape starts below the ground. Healthy soil is an essential part of the farm’s ecosystem, helping support the pasture, trees, waterways and habitats that all play a role in the bigger picture. It’s something we keep working to protect season after season.
What it adds up to for our hens
Shade, shelter, habitat, biodiversity corridors and water protection aren’t separate ideas. They’re all part of one landscape working together. For our hens, that means pasture with natural shelter nearby, waterways woven through the farm, and a broader environment that supports life beyond the paddock.
Because caring for the land and caring for the animals on it are closely connected. At Yallamundi, the trees are part of that story — shaping the place our hens call home, season after season.
Curious about what else shapes life at Yallamundi? Learn more about our farm, or explore recipes made with eggs from hens raised right here on the Darling Downs.