New Zealand Organic Meats

• About New Zealand Organic Meat

• Meat Production

• New Zealand Organic Supply Chain

New Zealand Organic Meats Limited joined Australian Organic Meats in January 2020. The team effort came about through discussions between our Aussie and NZ organic farmers to help each other achieve a common goal of organic meat production.  Australia and NZ have a great history of teamwork, like-minded interests, and our farmers share a passion for the organic food industry.     

High-quality, organically certified beef and lamb are supplied by our growing network of leading organic producers.

Paul & Tracey Ruddenklau

In 2003, Paul and his wife Tracey made the move to Southland where they took over management of Kilbrannan, a 350-hectare property near the township of Te Anau. This is where their involvement with organics began.

Kilbrannan was previously a leased property which was a tired, depleted, and broken-down property prior. Paul and Tracey began farming it conventionally and soon saw this was not going to work for them, their livestock, or their operational goals. They began seeking further training and a deeper understanding of how to appropriately manage their depleted land and how to get the best out of it whilst farming their resources in a sustainable manner.

Leading them to realise they did not need all the chemicals and fertilisers often associated with conventional farming. They found their production rates had doubled in three years. In 2006 they realised they were not far off aligning with organic farming practices and soon became organically certified.

Since then the Ruddenklau’s have not looked back! They have found an organic system that works well for them, whilst operating sustainably in accordance with the natural environment. This has consequently allowed them to produce the same, if not more in comparison with other conventional farms in their area on a per tonne basis.

Mt Brown was added in 2016, the 600-hectare neighbouring property. They now manage 5000 breeding ewes and run 300 head of cattle on both Kilbrannan and MT Brown, with their two children Josh (14) and Charlie (12). Both children are very much involved in the organic operation, with Josh being the tractor fanatic and Charlie being the key stockman after building a great connection with livestock. Paul noted that both children are incredibly involved and key operatives in their organic operation.

This family is passionate about organic farming, healthy food, and a sustainable farming lifestyle. They know “what you put into the ground is what you get out again” – for them, a no chemical, sustainable management practice, and an organic approach is the way to go!

Neville & Marleen Parkinson

Neville and Marleen are fourth-generation farmers. They took over Marleen’s grandfathers’ property, Tepeka, which he had been on since arriving from England at the age of 14. This is a 480-hectare farm located near the village of Waimahaka, where Neville’s son Cameron attended school, also close to the larger city of Invercargill.

Upon taking over the mixed livestock property, they decided to alter their management approach from conventional farming and soon turned to organic farming. This was after Neville had begun to dive into the world of organic farming and soon built a good rapport with like-minded producers.  

Neville is a key driver and advocate for New Zealand organic production. He has built up a large producer network and is a significant supporter in motivating New Zealand organic producers.

Neville, Marleen, and their 21-year-old son, Cameron, run Tepeka Organic Farm in a sustainable manner to produce clean and organically certified beef and lamb products. Cameron has worked on several other farms but still very much agrees with organic farming and their strategic management practices on his home property of Tepeka Organic Farm.

Formation Of New Zealand Organic Meat

Paul and Neville both come from strong farming backgrounds with years of experience between them. Their story of how they became involved in organic farming and sustainable management practices was spurred from a desire to do better for their land, produce clean and healthy produce for their family and encourage other farmers to do the same.

Organics brought the two families together and soon it became clear that both of their farming families shared similar values and end goals. The two of them were eager to find markets for New Zealand producers while ensuring they are rewarded for their efforts in the production of high-quality organic meat. From this Neville and Paul were able to build up a business and soon looked at expanding their small network to seek abroad markets. Over the previous 10 years, AOM Director, Simone Tully, has been encouraging and mentoring Neville to continue his passion for organics - “It is exciting to see them able to participate more fully in the supply chain and align with global customers.”

Seeking further market growth and supply chain growth, this soon led to a partnership with the Australian Organic Meats Group.

New Zealand Organic Meats and Australian Organic Meats Group share the same values and goals, of supplying sustainably produced and organically certified meat products to their customers.

We produce and supply high-quality organic meat – produced with the animal, environment, and consumer’s health in mind.

We have sourced producers who have the capacity to deliver high-quality and certified organic livestock, ensuring the continued integrity of our supply chain. Through a network, established by Neville and Paul, New Zealand Organic Meats comprised 40 leading organic producers who share a strong collaborative approach to organic meat production.

Our producer’s livestock grazes on pastures totally clean and free of any synthetic chemicals, herbicides, and pesticides. The animals are free of antibiotics and growth promotants.  All farms are inspected and certified every year to globally recognised organic standards.

Our quality meat products come from a diverse range of farming families which can be found grazing on green grassy pastures from the highlands to the coastal plains. Some common grass species found in our producers’ paddocks are cocksfoot, ryegrass, timothy, fescues, and phalaris. Often these pastures are sown with a legume that thrives in the rich fertile soils of southern New Zealand such as Lucerne, chicory, plantain, and red, white, and Persian clovers. Some common winter grazing crops used by our producers are swedes, turnips, kale, and fodder beet.

These diverse pasture species allow our products to be produced to the highest quality while working the land with the best sustainable practices to ensure continued production for future generations.

Animal

The welfare of our cattle, the sustainability of the environment, and the health of our consumers are vital.

Our promise to our customers is that we are committed to sourcing the best possible livestock from producers who practice sustainable farming methods, care for the natural environment, and are organically certified.  This provides consumer confidence that we are offering you the best quality product which has been produced in an organic and sustainable manner.

The organic producer group works in a collaborative manner to ensure timely deliveries and regularity of production. The farmers complement each other’s production by providing contacts and a variety of management capabilities within the network. If one producer does not have the resources to finish livestock to meet certain specifications, they have the capability to reach out to another producer within NZOM. This positive collaboration allows greater access to stock for a variety of markets which otherwise may not have been possible.

Our Producers

NZOM sources both beef and lamb producers on the North and South Islands of New Zealand. We are continuously working with our producers who share the same goals of sustainability, environmental awareness, and best health practices for the animals.

These producers come from diverse backgrounds ranging from alpine mountains to coastal grazing country with extensive green grass pastures in-between. This diversity ensures seasonal supply and extensive opportunities to provide the highest quality products to our customers.

New Zealand beef and sheep farms are required to have environmental management plans. This strategy reinforces consumer confidence that our products are sourced sustainably.

NZOM has worked really hard to bring an excellent group of organic producers together to provide clean organic meat in partnership with the Australian Organic Meats Group to our customers globally.