Sunny side up: Young family secures QRIDA Sustainability Loan to operate an egg-ceptional farm business

On the quiet back roads of Tiaro, 30 minutes south of Maryborough, flocks of free-range chickens contently pick and scratch at insects hiding in the lush grass. 

Each week they’re provided a new paddock with fresh grass and roam freely, enjoying Queensland’s finest sunshine, ruffling their feathers in the dirt as they please.

Nick and Amanda Kuhn along with their three children are the proud owners of these happy hens, operating Brother Brother Organics, a pasture-raised, free-range egg business. 

The Kuhns originally operated from Nick’s parent’s property near Maryborough but with the help of a Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) Sustainability Loan were able to purchase their own block of land to operate their business from.

“QRIDA, I’d heard through the grapevine were fantastic to deal with and if you are looking to get into your own primary production business these were the guys to talk to,” Nick said. 

“We already had an established business, but it was on my parent’s property. The Sustainability Loan enabled us to purchase land and we’ve been able to move our entire business operation from my parent’s place to our place.”

Nick and Amanda supply eggs to local businesses and restaurants across the Fraser Coast region and sell their eggs at the weekly markets in Maryborough where it’s first in best dressed to get your hands on a carton of these tasty goodies.

Amanda said it’s a team effort with the children getting involved in the family business but, in the beginning, they weren’t egg-sperts and have learnt a lot since establishing their operations.

“We didn’t know anything about chickens, so we’ve kind of learned along the way but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else these days,” Amanda said.

“I think a lot of our customers love the story as well. We’re not just a husband and wife team, it’s a family effort.” 

Throughout the application process, the couple were able to lean on their local QRIDA Regional Area Manager for Wide Bay and Fraser Coast, Mark Barrett for support.

“In the application process, there’s a lot of unknowns and if you’re not financially minded you might think it’s a bit difficult.

“Having Mark there, the Regional Area Manager, he was able to answer all our questions, offer a lot of assistance and help us submit the application,” Nick said. 

Mark has been a Regional Area Manager more than 15 years and says the best part of his job is getting on-farm to assist producers. 

“Farmers are the salt of the earth. When you arrive on their farm to help, whether it’s a grant, loan, disaster or drought recovery, they’re very appreciative. They welcome you into their homes, they introduce you to their families and you get to pat their dog,” he said.

“It’s been great to see Nick, Amanda and their family grow their business to a point where they could purchase their own land to operate their business on. From here the world’s their ‘eggshell’ on where they want to take their business to next,” Mark said. 

A QRIDA Sustainability Loan offers up to $1.3 million to existing Queensland-based primary producers to create a viable future for their farming business. 

For more information contact your Regional Area Manager on 1800 623 946 or visit the Your Regions webpage.