Farmers are quietly solving one of our biggest problems
OPINION: As food insecurity deepens across New Zealand, a powerful solution is quietly unfolding in our rural communities - and it starts at the farm gate.
A South Canterbury family’s ongoing support of Meat The Need has seen almost 12,000 meals donated to food banks across the country.
Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords from Cave, has donated the proceeds of one bull in their annual bull sale since the charity was established in 2020.
Their 2023 sale last week was their fourth year in a row, with Lot One selling for $3,000 which is equivalent to almost 3,000 meals.
Liz and John McKerchar said being able to donate was a really positive thing for their whole family.
“We get a lot of pleasure from being able to do it, it’s a jolly good cause,” Liz said.
Meat The Need Co-Founder Wayne Langford was incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from the McKerchar family.
“They don’t just donate an average bull, every year at the Shrimpton’s Hill Hereford Bull Sale, it’s been one of the best bulls in the category, every time,” he said.
“John, Liz, Abby and Hamish are such an important part of the Meat The Need family. It’s been a bloody tough few years on farm for everyone but having raised enough money to donate 12,000 meals is a huge achievement. They’re making a massive difference to families across the country.”
Meat The Need facilitates donations of meat and milk from farmers to food banks across the country.
Liz McKerchar said they were blown away to see the contribution they had made when it was broken down into meal value.
“It’s very, very hard to comprehend to be quite honest, you just can’t quite imagine that many packets of mince,” she said.
“It's just fabulous and we're thrilled it's of use and benefitting so many people, it's incredible.”
Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords was founded in 1969 by John’s father and since then, the family owned stud has become the leader in breeding Short Gestation Length Herefords in the Australasian market.
Running around 8,000 stock units which are mostly Herefords, they also have Border Leicester ewes, one of the oldest flocks of sheep breeds in the country that is still in the same family.
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