‘We call it our farm’: meet the Australians swapping supermarket shopping for farm shares

In a paddock by an old shed, a crowd of "passionate eaters" and the odd farmer surround Randal Breen. This is Breen's farm, and crowds are part of the business model.

"Before we do anything here, we ask ourselves: is it good for the animal, the land, the farmer and for the people that we feed?" Breen says.

He is speaking at an open day about the farm's community-supported agriculture (CSA) scheme, a model whereby farms distributes produce among their members in exchange for consistent financial support.

It's this premise that has led Scott Trudgett, his family and much of the crowd on a two-hour drive west of Brisbane to visit Randal and Juanita Breen at their 263 hectare farm at Echo Valley on Queensland's Southern Downs.

Most of the food Trudgett's family of six used to eat was bought after work from a budget supermarket. Now, for a subscription and initial 12-month commitment, they receive a monthly box of meat and eggs direct from the Breen's farm. They are one of 80 families signed up to this CSA and make a few visits to the property each year.

"It just made sense to get it direct from a farmer, we knew the quality, we can come and look at the farm for ourselves," Trudgett says.

Monthly fees range from $88 to $275, depending on the amount of produce members wish to receive.