Farmers ‘meating’ the need for community
A unique new charity model set up by two Tasman farmers has sent meat from hundreds of donated animals straight from farms to hungry Kiwi’s plates since the lockdown.
Dairy farmers Siobhan O’Malley of Motueka, and Wayne Langford of Golden
Bay, launched Meat the Need one month ago, a charity which connects farmers’ donated produce to processors and food banks.
To date, the charity has sent 40 cattle, 85 sheep and four deer to 55 food banks in 37 locations around the South Island.
Now the charity was moving its sights higher and wider, with the first meat packs planned to be sent to community food banks around the North Island next month, and expanding into other primary sectors.
O’Malley won the national share milkers of the year award in 2017, and Langford is the national dairy vice chairman for Federated Farmers and the Golden Bay president.
O’Malley said she felt a ‘‘mixture of emotions’’ about the response to the charity so far.
‘‘I’m relieved that farmers have got on board as I thought they would, and really excited about the future.’’
The unique charitable supply chain model simplifies the process for farmers to donate a whole animal at seasonal times when they are able. It also aims to smooth out supply for food banks.
O’Malley said they were grateful to farmers, but also to their partner supplier, Silver Fern Farms.
‘‘Because of their distribution we’re able to supply meat in 37 locations so far,’’ she said.
The charity was hoping to expand out of just red meat.
She said they were already talking to milk processors, and other primary sectors like fruit and vegetables, to use the same model of distribution to food banks.
‘‘For example, a dairy farmer donating 100 litres of milk per year ... that gets sent out from Fonterra to food banks around the country as milk product, or baby formula.’’
Langford said it was farmers’ role as the food producers for New Zealand to feed its people.
‘‘We export 90 per cent of milk and red meat, but we still have families going hungry in New Zealand. That’s not quite right.’’
He said ‘‘the other cool thing’’ about the charity was that it was sending out premium product—not expired or waste product like some other charities.
‘‘It’s a really special to us because farmers have donated something they have grown and been a part of their lives, and business, and families, and sharing some of that along the way.’’
Farmers can donate livestock via the Meat the Need website, or through Silver Fern Farms stock agents.