About us
Jigsaw Farms, the 3,378 hectare family property of Mark Wootton and Eve Kantor fifteen kilometres north of Hamilton in Western Victoria, integrates forestry, carbon and indigenous plantings with high-productivity grazing on a large scale. The mixed grazing operation consists of a fine wool sheep flock, a prime lamb operation and an Angus/Poll Hereford breeding program. About 600 hectares have been planted out to hardwood timbers, mainly Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata). The underlying focus of Jigsaw Farms is to integrate a profitable, highly productive stock and agroforestry operation while adhering to environmental guidelines, based on the understanding that looking after developing the non-pasture areas of the farm actually assists productivity.
The farms currently run over 50,000 Dry Sheep Equivalents (DSEs) in a high input production system. The farms also have over 320 ha of biodiversity and agroforestry plantations that act as a carbon sink, amongst other things. These farming practices demonstrate ways to lessen the impact of climate change and have resulted in a more adaptative and resilient farming system.
The whole enterprise is made up of 6 properties totalling 3,378 ha (8,347 acres) with environmental works and agroforestry on 18% of land area. Large connected tracts of revegetated waterways, farm forests and wetlands play a vital role alongside 20,000 adult sheep and 20,000 lambs that are run on high-input pastures (average Olsen P of 18).
