Farmer Time for Schools expands, connecting more students with farmers
In the past year, the Farmer Time for Schools programme which seeks to connect New Zealand school students with farmers, has experienced further growth.
BLNZ Inc was established in 1986 as the NZ Beef and Lamb Marketing Bureau.
Domestic retailers led its formation, with processors and farmers adding their support later. It describes itself as a globally unique initiative representing the full red meat supply chain.
CEO Says the Founding Idea Still Holds
Chief executive Kit Arkwright said the founding idea remained relevant.
“Kiwis hold red meat in high regard for its taste, nutrition and for what it contributes to the country’s prosperity, but its place on the dinner plate should not be taken for granted,” he said.
Arkwright said farmers, processors and retailers competed every day, yet for four decades had set commercial priorities aside to keep the product front of mind for consumers.
“As we look ahead, that ethos of collaboration and cooperation has never been more important,” he said.
Campaigns and the Quality Mark
BLNZ Inc was the driving force behind the Iron Maidens campaign, which featured Olympic gold medallists the Evers-Swindell twins and Sarah Ulmer. It is also a founding partner of National Lamb Day.
It introduced the Quality Mark in 1997 to ensure tender meat on the domestic market. The mark remains a fixture in retail almost 30 years later.
Over the past three decades, BLNZ Inc has worked with New Zealand chefs including Peter Gordon, Rex Morgan and recent Michelin Star recipients Ben Bayly and Shaun Clouston.
Its recipes.co.nz website has been a go-to for New Zealand cooks since 2000 and is one of the largest recipe websites in the country.
World Iron Awareness Week
The anniversary coincides with World Iron Awareness Week, which runs from 12 to 18 October. BLNZ Inc started the week in 2014, and it is now backed by 60 partners across the food system. Parkruns in Auckland and Wellington are planned to mark the week.
