Coggan Farms, located in Meandarra/Inglestone area of Australia, has a rich history dating back to 1937 when Jack and Val Coggan purchased the original property, ‘Enarra’. The property was initially operated as a merino sheep stud. However, Val had a vision to see the property develop from a virgin block to a highly productive block that it is today. In 1942, Val began clearing the all brigalow and belah scrub with an axe and shovel of coals stick picking and ring barking. He graduated to the use of timber pulling a plant run by Sir Joh Bjelke Peterson.
In 1952, Val and his wife, Edna McIntosh, pioneered wheat growing in the Meandarra/Inglestone area, planting an initial 32 ha on ‘Enarra’. The wheat area was doubled in 1953. In 1969, Val’s oldest son, John, returned home to the farm, marking the third generation of the Coggan family to be involved in the farm’s operation. The same year, John married Lyn Robinson, whose family had a rich history in the Weengallon district dating back to 1911 and the Robinson’s 1920.
In 1978, Coggan Farms started its cattle feedlot with only 1000 head. The farm continued to innovate and introduced zero till farming in 1980. In 1988, Phillip, John and Lyn’s son, returned home to the farm, marking the fourth generation of the Coggan family to be involved in the farm’s operation. In 2001, Controlled Traffic was introduced, followed by the Automated cattle yards built in 2003 to increase productivity and allow fewer staff to work in the yards at one time.
In 2005, the Coggan family was awarded the Jason Rae Memorial Grain growers of the year for innovation at the Brisbane Royal Show. The farm achieved a Guinness World Record wheat crop in 2008, raising $75,000 for heart transplant research at The Prince Charles Hospital and Organ donation awareness.
In 2011, the fifth generation requested to bring meat sheep back into the protein mix, and 20 Dorpers were purchased. In 2014, the Meat Master Stud was purchased, which improved the quality of meat tenfold. In 2015, feedlotting meat sheep was introduced to increase production. In 2016, the Speckled park breed was introduced to the Angus breeding herd.
In 2019, lamb feedlotting commenced under a shed. As of 2022, the story of Coggan Farms continues, with the family committed to the ongoing development and success of their farm. The farm remains a family-owned operation, with a legacy of innovation and a commitment to excellence that has spanned almost a century.