Savannah Farm is the coming together of the current generation of Lally Farmers in the Hill River Valley. Philip moved back to the farm after graduating from Roseworthy Agricultural College and then spending several years in the wine industry including working around Australia for Hardy’s and also for Geyser Peak Winery in California.
He met his wife Michele in 2006, and she brought a different vision to the business after working in sales and business consulting, event management and marketing in the IT Industry and Extreme Sport Industry after studying Hotel Management including Le Cordon Bleu cuisine at the Swiss Hotel School’s International College of Hotel Management.
Together, they have spent over 9 years developing the Savannah brand coining the phrase of "stress free" and being pioneers in the ethical treatment of animals to ensure a higher quality end product on your plate.
When Philip arrived back to the Farm, a focus on sustainability and the environment were key areas identified, and processes were put in place to change the direction and dynamics of the farm. This included planting out the river system along the farm with salt grow eucalypt hybrid trees and planting shelter belts and fence lines to provide the stock with locations during inclement weather (hot and cold). This is now being further developed with on contour fencing, forage alley systems for different species and multi species pasture cropping techniques to assist with healthy stock and thus nourishing and healing food offerings. The couple plan to plant restorative trees over the coming 5 years, which will include a dehesa system of oaks and deciduous trees to reload the ground with carbon and humus, high protein forage trees to assist during times of low fodder, as well as protective alleyways and shelter belts and silviculture systems for highly valuable and productive trees. This will amount to approximately 13000 trees and shrubs being planted over the coming 5 - 10 years.
When you are in tune with the land, you start to become more in tune with the psychology of the animals and how they co-exist in their natural environment. Brought on by noticing a huge difference between the growth rate and happiness of stock that had been treated respectfully and hand reared, a whole new philiosophy was developed around stress free management and stock handling in 2009. This provided Phil and Michele with the ability to work with the animals using their natural movements and habits, rather than expecting the animals to work within human parameters and human environments. This has continued with their focus now on nutrition and happiness through robust management of farm processors eliminating the need to overhandle, feed labour intensive feed sources and utilise the animals species characteristics to assist with healing the soil.
The Savannah Farm story started way back in 1912, when the first section of property was purchased by Vincent Lally Snr. He had moved his young family up to the Clare Valley from the Gawler River area north of Adelaide, where his parents had settled back in the mid 1840′s. He raised a large family with his wife Gertie and eventually his youngest son, Vincent Lally Jnr, Phil's father, took over the running of the property.
