To Sam and Mel Nicolson, there is no doubt that animal welfare comes first, alongside the protection of the stunning land on which they are fortunate enough to live, work and raise their three daughters Florence, Hazel and Edwina with dedication and passion.

These are the core values around which life unfurls at Bonneys Plains, a farm nestled in the valley at the foot of the magnificent Ben Lomond National Park in Australia. This young couple (Sam and Mel are 36) has a very clear take on how they want to manage and live on the farm, with a very strong attachment to animal welfare: “We have not been mulesing for 14 years now and find it satisfying that it is appreciated and recognised further than the farm gate these days.”

Their words are testament to the love and passion they put in their everyday activities on the farm and speak to the mutual respect their relationship to the land is built upon: “We look after the land and the land looks after us.” It is a deep bond that unites man and land in complete harmony.

This is precisely why the farm and everything that surrounds it are the perfect backdrop for a strong and lasting passion for the land, one that has offered a number of great rewards: “We appreciate the land for not just its ability to produce an income, but as a special piece of the Tasmanian landscape which we are fortunate enough to call our backyard.”

Even the little ones have grown to be truly appreciative of nature’s special gifts. Sam and Mel’s daughters are lucky enough to have been born and raised on a generous land that has taught them a number of precious lessons: “Our young children see the farm as one big playground, spending their time swimming in the creek or river, running along feed bales, sliding down the chutes in the shearing shed, bushwalking and enjoying bush picnics. We hope that like Sam, our children will grow up to see the bush as being just as valuable as the four generations of Nicolson’s before them did and understand that nurturing this sensitive land is crucial to producing quality superfine merino wool.”

Sustanability is an essential value at Bonneys Farm and the efforts carried out by Sam and Mel in their commitment to traceability have been recognised on a number of occasions.

Reda's Best Supplier Award wants to recognize and acknowledge the effort, passion and expertise that Reda's Australian partners daily put into their farming system and wool.

Traceability is the tool that allows them to guarantee safety and transparency while being able to monitor the Merino wool they produce throughout its entire journey. This only adds further value to the work carried out at Bonneys Plains, a farm where sustainability and traceability have become a true mission: “After spending many years loading wool bales onto a truck with little information about where the wool ended up, to now being able to trace the wool to the end user at Reda would have to be one of the greatest satisfactions.”

“We see sustainability as being a balancing act between producing a quality product while caring for the natural environment. Stocking number are monitored continuously and adjusted in times of drought. The sheep need to be well nourished without depleting the land.”

Sam and Mel’s commitment has earned them a number of recognitions throughout the years. This level of appreciation has given them a great deal of satisfaction, and pushed them even further to keep doing their best: “Respect for and working with the natural environment has always been a priority at Bonneys Plains. The Nicolson family’s approach to sensitive land management was recognised when Sam’s parents won two Tasmanian Landcare Awards and one all Australian. We are now working hard to add our own layer of conservation to Bonneys Plains.” Sam and Mel’s special relationship with the land and the animals stems from a deep, lasting bond. More than an everyday activity, it is about passion, care and dedication: “It’s not just a career, a job, it’s our lifestyle, our home and where we are rising our children. We see it as a lifelong commitment, something that we’ll be doing forever.”