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A smart kid managed to expand his egg business from a farmers market stall to a supplier to Australia’s largest supermarket chains before he was old enough to get a driver’s license.
The Murray family moved to an old pine plantation in Kerrie Valley, about 70km northwest of Melbourne, in 2008, but were shocked to discover that the previous owner had left 40 chickens behind.
A few years later, nine-year-old Josh, eager to earn some pocket money, made a deal with his parents that he would take care of the chickens if he could sell their eggs.
That was when his company, Josh’s Rainbow Eggs, was born.
Josh Murray (right) started his farm-fresh egg business when he was just nine years old, collecting the eggs from 40 chickens on his parents’ farm himself
Josh’s business, Josh’s Rainbow Eggs, is now sold in Woolworths and Coles and had $5 million in annual sales last fiscal year (pictured, Josh holding boxes of his eggs)
“He took care of the chickens, he had to feed them, clean up the coup, the chickens were his responsibility, he started selling to neighbors but we only had three,” his 54-year-old mother, Tamsyn, told me. news.com.
However, Josh soon found that he had too many eggs and not enough customers, so he took his business to the local stores and a farmers market.
Ms Murray said that when Josh landed a spot at the local Foodworks, she realized they had to dedicate their entire farm to his chickens.
From there it was all hands on deck.
Josh’s family helped run the business, and the company hired its first outside employee in 2012 to help collect eggs from 1,500 chickens.
Josh’s family (above) all got involved in his business after he started supplying eggs to local stores
Josh’s Rainbow Eggs (above) are now available in over 100 locations across Victoria
By 2013, their flock had grown to 2,000 chickens.
Another two years later and their farm had 10,000 chickens and eight workers.
Josh later bought a flatter 250-acre farm just five minutes from their home in Kerrie Valley so the chickens had more room to forage.
“It’s very different from the wooded hills we live among. It’s easier to have chickens here because they have so much room to forage,” explains Josh.
‘The flocks are small, the hens are less stressed and can come and go easily from the barn. It is a place where they can sleep and lay an egg.
Josh (pictured in April) now has over 10,000 chickens living on a 250-acre farm five minutes from his home in Kerrie Valley
“Sometimes when it rains they go inside. The chickens essentially live outside.’
In 2015, Josh, then 13, decided he wanted to take his business even further and wrote a heartfelt letter to Coles explaining why they should acquire his product.
Later that day, he received a reply inviting him and his mother to meet with executives in Melbourne.
Not wanting to put all his eggs in one basket, Josh also approached Woolworths.
Both supermarket giants jumped at the opportunity to sell its farm-fresh eggs for about $8 a dozen.
They are also sold at IGA and LaManna Supermarket, as well as at Foodworks.
Josh wrote to Coles and Woolworths when he was just 13 (above) asking to sell his products
Josh’s Rainbow Eggs are now available at Coles, Woolworths, IGA and Foodworks for about $8 a dozen (pictured, Josh with his eggs for sale at Woolworths)
In the past fiscal year, Josh’s Rainbow Eggs were sold in more than 100 stores in Victoria and generated annual sales of $5 million.
“If tens of thousands eat your eggs every week, that’s a lot of people,” said Ms Murray.
In 2019, Josh received the Victorian Young Achiever Award for Environmental Sustainability.
His business is run by a 3KW off-grid solar system and focuses on the welfare of his chickens.