In the 1970s, on the family farm in Tenterfield, a young boy named Michael Sommerlad dreamt of raising the ideal chicken.
Michael spent his childhood observing the variety of characteristics across the diverse breeds of his farmyard chickens, fascinated by the way they interacted with the Australian environment.That vision would see him not only breed chickens faster than his father, but become an expert consultant on chicken genetics.The man behind the birdThe experience was a stark contrast to the birds he raised throughout his childhood.
"There were actually nine different characteristics, and I used 12 to 15 strains of breeds from all over Australia," he says. Equipped with his genetic recipe for a perfect Australian chicken, he approached major figures in the industry."On every occasion, my approaches were pooh-poohed out of hand as unnecessary," quips Michael.But they too hit roadblocks. They were trying to improve the industry, but state regulation got in the way.
"We needed to find a breed or type of chicken that would be amenable to living in its natural habitat, because that's what the forest is — its natural habitat," he says.
Why have an organisation called SustainVic if not to encourage & protect such ventures in sustainable agriculture? The genetic diversity at the heart of Michael's work shouldn't be sacrificed on the altar of BigAgriculture, but it effectively has been.
“He was denied permission to create a magnificent cock”