Defining move in organic milk market

Kapiti, Fonterra’s premium ice cream and milk business, has made the latest defining move in the burgeoning organic milk market.

The company is the first to source and market organic milk from a single farm; the Kapiti product comes from Flipps farm in Oroua Downs, Manawatu.

Kapiti marketing manager beverages Kevin Taffs says the one-farm supply strategy means consumers know where the milk comes from.

“There are a lot of issues around food claims and health scares; people [want to know] where their food comes from,” Taffs told Dairy News.

He says demand for organic milk remains strong in New Zealand; two out of three Kiwis buy organic at least occasionally, equating to a $217 million spend per year. Nearly all the growth in the milk market is in organic milk sales.

Kapiti sells single-farm organic milk in 1.25L and 750ml bottles – blue top homogenised and silver top unhomogenised organic milk.

Taffs says the Flipps are passionate about the virtues of organic farming; “this means you know where your milk comes from -- direct from farm to fridge”.

Mark Flipp says four generations of the Flipps are farming the 508ha property; 600 Friesian cows are milked with 300 split-calving in spring and autumn.

The family is chuffed about supplying organic milk to Kapiti, he says.

“I suppose it’s because of our experience in organic farming and our ability to supply the milk throughout the year; this means we don’t struggle to supply throughout the winter which is traditionally a period when many organic milk brands struggle to meet demand.”

Taking three years to achieve organic certification, the Flipps produce nearly everything they need inside their fence line. The only thing they use on their farm that’s not grown or made on it is the organic pellets they feed their calves.

“We’re proud to be able to share the milk we enjoy on the farm with the rest of New Zealand. We’ve stayed true to our roots working with the land and the weather to make the best milk we can. Some people might even find the milk tastes sweeter due to the organic fertiliser we use,” says Flipp.

“It’s great to know that we can give people peace of mind in knowing that what they are consuming has been organically grown and produced, just the way it used to be.”

Flipp Farm

- 600 Friesian cows milked year round

- Bill and Anne bought the 111ha farm in 1980 and have bought seven more properties since

- Four generations, including Bill and Anne, work on the farm

- Organic certification took three years.