This case study from the “Amplifying Stories of Agroecology Principles and Practices” (ASAPP) project series highlights the Jonai Farms and Meatsmiths, a family farm in Dja Dja Wurrung country, Central Highlands, Victoria, Australia.

After a journey through America to learn from ethical farmers, the familiy returned home determined to create a model farm—one that embodies food sovereignty and degrowth by nurturing the land, caring for animals, supporting the community, and growing food sustainably in honor of past and future generations. In 2013, Jonai Farms became Australia’s first to crowdfund a licensed on-farm butcher’s shop, followed by a curing room and commercial kitchen a year later. This enabled them to produce zero-waste, nose-to-tail offerings like charcuterie, stocks, and soaps—crafted locally and free from corporate influence. Central to their vision is degrowth, practiced through a solidarity-based, localized economy and a CSA model that shares risks and rewards between producers and consumers.