Podcast Summary:

The Origins Foundation Podcast

Episode 625 – Tara Medina || Food System Enthusiast

Date: February 19, 2026
Host: The Origins Foundation / Robbie
Guest: Tara Medina, Co-Founder of Discovered Wild Foods

Overview

This episode explores the intersection of conservation, ethical hunting, and sustainable protein with guest Tara Medina, co-founder of Discovered Wild Foods—Australia's first company to bring wild-shot venison from deer into the domestic human food supply. Tara shares her unique journey from law and event planning into the wild food business, highlighting the challenges, opportunities, and mission-aligned growth of her company. The conversation offers a deep dive into the Australian wild protein landscape, issues in commercializing wild game, industry bottlenecks, and the potential for making ethical wild food mainstream in Australia and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Abundance of Wild Protein in Australia (06:30–11:28)

• Australia vastly overproduces food, with 70% of farmed produce exported.
• There is a shockingly large overpopulation of wild animals—such as feral deer, boar, and macropods (kangaroos and wallabies)—causing environmental harm and resource waste.
• The ethical imperative: It’s up to Australians to utilize these resources sustainably for both environmental and human benefit.

Quote:

"Australian wild protein is one of the most overlooked resources in this country."
— Tara Medina (10:59)

2. Tara’s Background and Path to Discovered Wild Foods (11:28–16:56)

• Tara started in law and strategy consulting before co-founding a music festival, driven by finding business models with community and purpose.
• Her introduction to hunting and wild game came through her festival co-founder Billy Stoughton, who taught her about the realities and opportunities in country Australia.
• Commercial harvest of deer was illegal in Victoria until 2019; a new regulatory scheme prompted Tara and her co-founders to launch Discovered Wild Foods.

Notable Moment (Comedy):

"Let me close this door because I have a little wiener dog."
— Robbie (03:03)
"You're laughing because I said wiener."
— Tara (03:06)

3. Challenges in Mainstreaming Wild Venison (18:16–22:18)

• Kangaroo meat had a decades-long monopoly as the only wild game in major grocery stores, but marketing was poor and perception was negative.
• Venison was almost unknown to mainstream Australians, only consumed by hunters or rural families.
• Pandemic timing (April 2020) blocked access to initial core customers (chefs/restaurants).
• Infrastructure and shipping challenges: cold chain logistics in Australia is expensive and complex due to the country’s size and spread.

Quote:

"We shipped some of our first cartons of meat just like with a couple ice packs in there in unrefrigerated transport, just hoping for the best."
— Tara Medina (19:44)

4. Making Wild Food Accessible and Appealing (22:18–24:28)

• Collaborations with chefs like Joe Barrett (Wild Pie) and Mark LeBrooy helped the business overcome consumer hesitation through familiar formats like meat pies and sausage rolls.
• Accessibility is key: “When you see a meat pie, especially in Australia... you’re not worried about what you’re going to taste.”

Quote:

"You need to make people feel like it’s not even a decision to eat it."
— Tara Medina (21:03)

5. The US Wild Game Market & International Opportunity (23:26–26:38)

• Comparison to the US: US consumers pay a premium for wild-shot venison, but most American “venison” is farmed elk from New Zealand, and regulations prevent native wild game from entering the food chain.
• Australia’s challenge—and opportunity—is to build a robust industry, reduce invasive species, support landowners, and potentially export surplus wild game protein.

Quote:

"I think America is the market that is the most exciting unlock for Australian operators."
— Tara Medina (25:18)

6. Traceability, Harvesting & Processing in Australia (27:05–32:21)

• Every wild animal shot for food must be individually tagged with harvester and property info—high traceability.
• Harvesters are independent contractors paid per kilo, incentivizing best practices in ethical kill and healthy animals.
• Processors are separately licensed (additional requirements for wild game). Some animals will be deemed only suitable for pet food.

Key Segment:
How the field-to-freezer model works for wild deer (27:05–29:35)

7. Industry Bottlenecks & Infrastructure (33:12–35:32)

• Main bottleneck: field infrastructure (e.g., chiller boxes for harvested animals before processing) rather than processing facilities themselves, especially in Victoria where the wild deer industry is new.
• Investment and leap of faith are needed to provide enough locations and resources for shooters to drop off animals.

8. “Hunters for the Hungry” and Food Donation Challenges (36:27–40:37)

• Unlike the US, Australia’s rigorous health and safety compliance (plus infrastructure needs) stops large-scale venison donation programs to food-insecure people or the homeless.
• Tara notes that although Australia’s “nanny state” approach frustrates innovation, strict standards for ethical and safe harvesting protect the industry from reputational damage and animal activist pushback.

9. Ethics & The Importance of “Above Reproach” Standards (40:37–44:08)

• High ethical standards, especially around kill techniques and processing, are crucial to avoiding stigma and opposition (e.g., recent kangaroo meat bans in the US).
• Consumer and activist perceptions can quickly damage markets for wild proteins if ethical lapses become publicized.

Quote:

"We have to set the bar of being like best in field is what we say. Because the risk is too high that something will be misinterpreted, that something will be stigmatized..."
— Tara Medina (43:44)

10. The Product Line and what’s Next for Discovered Wild Foods (44:08–47:58)

• Main product: “Quarter Beast Box,” similar to ordering a whole quarter of a deer, including various cuts, sausages, broths, pies, etc., all from samba deer.
• 2026 plans: Launching “Real Wild,” a line of jerky, biltong, and meat sticks (working with a South African biltong expert).
• Seeking to expand harvester and landholder partnerships to scale up sustainable wild food for Australia and potentially export markets.

Quote:

"Making wild game shelf stable and in a format no one can really contest, which is like a meat stick or a biltong, I think is a huge unlock for us…"
— Tara Medina (46:47)

11. Wrap-up & How to Get Involved (48:19–50:06)

• Australians can order products at discoveredfoods.com and follow updates via Instagram (@discovered_foods).
• International expansion is a vision for the future—listeners are urged to partner, spread the word, and help realize a more sustainable wild protein network.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “There’s a sweet spot with a gun, you know, too heavy and it’s a burden to walk with. Too light and you whipping it.” – Robbie (01:21)
• “We all kind of work in different fields around the country in order to really pour everything we can into this business.” – Tara Medina (04:59)
• Robbie jokes about his dietary adventures: “Her wild boar sausage rolls was so good. I think I had three a day.” (04:07)
• Discussing what makes Australian food systems unique: “Shockingly abundant resources… Nobody in Australia should ever go hungry.” – Robbie (05:50)
• “Some people would say the goals we have are a little bit hairy and… a bit of a pipe dream. But we all work in different fields around the country… It's our passion.” – Tara Medina (04:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:00 – Introduction to Tara Medina and Discovered Wild Foods
• 06:30–11:28 – Australia’s Wild Protein Abundance, Environmental & Social Impact
• 11:28–16:56 – Tara’s Background: Law, Festivals, Hunting, and the Launch of Discovered
• 18:16–22:18 – The Challenges of Launching Wild Venison to Market
• 22:18–24:28 – Culinary Partnerships & Consumer Accessibility
• 27:05–32:21 – Traceability, Regulation, and the Harvesting Model
• 33:12–35:32 – Bottlenecks in Infrastructure
• 36:27–40:37 – Food Donation and “Hunters for the Hungry” Barriers
• 40:37–44:08 – Ethics, Stigma, and Industry Reputation
• 44:08–47:58 – Product Offerings and 2026 Expansion to DTC Jerky/Biltong
• 48:19–50:06 – How to Connect with Discovered Wild Foods

Final Notes

This episode is a thoughtful—and often humorous—look at building a food business rooted in conservation ethics. Tara’s practical, passionate approach shines through, as does her vision for scaling sustainable wild food in Australia and globally. For anyone interested in food systems, ethical hunting, rural innovation, or conservation storytelling, this conversation is essential listening.