Meet Peter Watson. The farmer behind your purchase. 

Peter Watson was born and raised on King Island, as was his father and grandmother. Today, Peter, his wife and their children continue this tradition, where three generations now have lived and worked on the land, Peter hopes it will stay this way forever. Peter feels a very close connection to King Island, walking around the farm often brings back memories of his own childhood, and he hopes his children will one day share that same experience as they get older.

For Peter, community is at the heart of life on King Island. It’s a place where people support one another, a safe place to raise children and where the clean and green environment creates ideal conditions for producing and fattening cattle year-round. Peter is also passionate about looking after the land and the animals in his care. All trees on the property are fenced off from cattle, protecting the natural environment while ensuring valuable shelter remains available for the livestock. He believes that caring for the landscape today will benefit future generations of King Island farmers.

Peter values his strong partnership with JBS. The guidance, feedback and support provided by the JBS team, in particular local JBS King Island livestock buyer, Boyd Hoare, doesn’t go unnoticed. He is always willing to lend a hand, helping Peter load cattle or even driving the truck for him if needed. Peter appreciates the fact that Boyd goes above and beyond what you would normally expect.

In 2018, Peter was recognised as the JBS Producer of the Year for Southern Australia, an achievement he attributes to following the JBS Farm Assurance Program (JBSFA) guidelines. Since then, he has also been an active member of the JBSFA Top 20 Beef producers’ group.

King Island Beef producers play a vital role in maintain the brands reputation for quality. In line with Tasmanian regulations, the use of added hormones (HGPs) and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are prohibited on King Island, ensuring all cattle are raised naturally. But the farmers on King Island like Peter go one step further, by being JBS Farm Assurance this party audited to verify and ensure a consistent product quality and maintain the highest standards of animal welfare.