Agmates editor Steve Truman writes:
A remote outback station in the Northern Territory is the last place you’d expect to find the head quarters of a successful internet online superstore. But one hundred or so kilometres south of Darwin on a remote cattle station is where we found two women farmers operating the Non Toxic Life online superstore.
Melissa Kerr and her sister in law Natalie Gibson (pictured below) have developed a thriving off farm Internet business that is helping protect the lives of families around the world.
Melissa (above left) lives and works with her husband Daryn and baby daughter Emma on a cattle property approximately 100kms south of Darwin in the Northern Territory. Natalie & her husband have just moved south to the Sunshine Coast in QLD.
Both lady’s were concerned about the alarming effects that everyday use of chemicals on farms and in the home were having on themselves and their families and decided to be proactive about it.
Photo below is of Melissa with Daryn and daughter Emma out moving a mob of Brahman cows on their cattle station near Batchelor in the Northern Territory. Also pictured are their faithful Kelpie working dogs Bindi, Jazz and Ted.
Melissa hails from South West QLD, while Natalie comes from the Riverina district of NSW. They have founded what is proving to be the enormously successful online superstore, Non Toxic Life.
The business idea was born out of a desperate search for natural alternatives for Melissa’s soon to be born baby and their own households.
After many laborious hours of searching, researching - and persevering looking for natural products and information - they felt sure they could help other people by providing all of it in one online webstite. - The Non Toxic Life website superstore business was born.
The website offers people a source of reliable and unbiased information on health and wellbeing topics, coupled with equally sound products. Melissa and Natalie market a personally selected range of products that are all natural, free of toxic chemicals and as close to natural as possible.
The focus is on organic, non toxic Australian made or fair trade products. Click Here to see products that Melissa & Natalie have selected especially for Agmates readers this month.
Agmates members enjoy special discounts on Nox Toxic products. You can click through from the Non Toxic Agmates page to their website / SuperStore which boasts over 300 products.
We run approx 1,200 head of Brahman cattle, with paddocks varying from about 500 acres to 2000 acres. This photo was taken when moving cattle from one paddock to another over Easter. In the wet we move the Brahman cattle in one mob (1200 head) roughly weekly around the paddocks to keep the Gamba grass under control.
Speaking from the station in the NT Melissa told Agmates “This day and age time is precious and online shopping is popular, quick and easy. Many of our customers order long after the stores have shut. Our website has gone from strength to strength in the last six months, with customers Australia wide and more regularly now from the United States.”
Melissa and Natalie are both very passionate in educating people about the impact of chemicals used in their everyday lives and how easy it is to make a difference.
We spoke to Natalie and she told us “If people are concerned about the impact of chemicals used in their everyday lives, be it on the farm, in the house or garden, then we try to have an alternative. Our business focuses on people who are interested in living a longer, healthier life, particularly those who have been exposed to prolonged chemical usage and parents of children and young babies who want to give their children the cleanest start to life.”
In the photo below our daughter Emma is giving one of the cows a good talking too while helping put out the supplement lick. In the dry we do not receive any rain for about 6 months - April to September, then in the wet we receive about 1600-1800mm (64-72″).
What started out as a search for Natural products for Melissa’s baby, has developed into a thriving off farm business. Australian Farmers have always been keen innovators, they have had to be to survive.
Melissa & Natalie have shown given access to broadband technology that farmers can achieved great things from the most unlikely beginnings and location.
Emma feeds the dogs after a big days cattle work.
Don’t forget to visit the Non Toxic Life - Agmates page - Click here to do that. You can click through to the Non Toxic superstore from the Agmates page.
Have your say! Melissa & Natalie are waiting online to answer your question or respond to your comments. You can do that by clicking on the word Comments in Blue below and typing in the reply box on the next page.