He says you can’t control Mother Nature so why worry about how much or how little rain has fallen.

Ruston and brother Ryan have taken Mother Nature out of their operation “Hurlstone” – thanks to saltbush.

About 20 years ago their late father Trevor was reviewing the farm budget and the cost of growing a tonne of grain. He thought there was a more economical use of the land.

At the same time at Narromine Andrew Sippel was using old man saltbush to rejuvenate his northern NSW property, and found his sheep thrived on it.

“It was a slow start, you don’t get much of a grazing off it until 18 months or so,” Ruston said.

“It was getting rid of the risk of Mother Nature.”

In 2006 the Donovans registered the Lambtastic brand and began selling their saltbush lamb direct to the public, via farmers markets.

The lamb is processed at Meat on Melville, Yarrawonga.

“It’s giving us stability there’s no question about that,” Ryan said. “It’s maintaining returns.

“The past few years you’re probably better to sell lamb live in the yards so the wheel’s turning.

“But we can budget and consistently know what we’re looking at as long as we make the sales through the farmers markets and that side of thing.

“… The meat game is very much cut throat unless you have a point of difference on the brand.

“The fact we’ve got the brand gives us capacity to be able to stand beside it and people recognise it.”

The Donovans turn over about 600 head a year and also maintain a breeding flock of about 1000 head.

They also sell fat lambs traditionally through the market, operate a winter cropping and hay programs to spread risk.

On April 1 they will expand their operation by opening a shopfront in Mulwala showcasing Lambtastic lamb and farm. It will have wool product displays, in a deal with Ugg, and feature timber and shearing stand from their original farm shearing shed, a wool bale counter and photos depicting their farm and rural life.

“We were at the mercy of subbies and we were trying to get our quality control back,” Ruston said.

“We needed a commercial kitchen to do the stuff ourselves.

“We’re not  a butcher’s shop, it’s about using the whole animal and the whole experience.”