John Monaghan grew up on a dairy farm in Nowra, NSW. After a successful career in the steel industry in Newcastle he moved to a property just outside Dungog with his wife Dianne and started farming Angus beef cattle. Over the past 20 years he has developed the genetics and quality in the cattle, producing a top quality beef herd. John comes from a conventional farming background and has found that despite producing some of the best cattle in the district, high prices of fertiliser inputs, volatility in cattle markets and increasing periods of drought and climate change meant the farm was never profitable. In order to ensure the farm is enticing for the next generation of farmers he knew he would have to change something.

Alan Smith grew up in North Yorkshire, UK. He has a background in furniture design and hospitality. He has worked in some of the top restaurants in the UK and the world, working with some of the best chefs, using the best quality produce from the best farms. He set up the kitchen garden at The Black Swan, Oldstead, which is where his love for agriculture and horticulture grew. Since moving to Australia, Alan has studied holistic management, regenerative agriculture and diversification of farming and applies that knowledge every day to our farm. Alan’s focus is looking at how the whole system works on the farm, how different elements can work together, much like they would have in nature, to produce the best quality produce while improving the land around us.

Together, over many evening beers, wines and delicious dinners, Alan and John hatched Rocking Chair Farm, a place where John can find a new way of farming for the future and Alan can test and trial the methods of regenerative agriculture taught at college.

Alan’s partner, Lucy Miller and John’s wife Dianne are also heavily involved. Lucy as the on call veterinarian, animal health advisor and chief heifer selector and Dianne as the manager of accounts, meetings and morning teas.