It has been a busy period for the team at Meat the Need! Our focus has centered around engaging our local communities and raising charity awareness.
Through a regional campaign supported by MediaWorks, we have raised our profile and connected our stakeholders with realistic protein targets. The aim is to address food insecurity statistics within each region.
Our team also attended the DWN conference in Taranaki. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the local dairy sector and promote our impact within their local communities.
We are excited to announce the formation of new partnership with Green Meadows Beef.
This has enabled Meat the Need to service more food banks in the Taranaki region.
Please continue to stay tuned to our website and social media channels to keep up to date on charity news and milestones.
Thanks again to all of our stakeholders who are enabling us to 'Meat the Need' with nutritious protein.
Fieldays!
We were fortunate to partner with our valued sponsors Allflex and Fonterra at the National Fieldays in Mystery Creek.
It was a great opportunity to meet with our current supporters and engage with potential donors.
The team from Rabobank also hosted us amongst a number of other farmers. It was great to meet members of their client council who have been pivotal in supporting our partnership.
A big thanks to all of those who paid us a visit, bought a personalised tag from Allflex and came to connect with us in the Fonterra tent.
Thank you also to our fantastic volunteers who helped us raise donations throughout the event! Special thanks goes to Annabel Donovan, Megan Skiffington, Nicholas Crosse, Oz Tiddy, Bailey Walker and Stephen Wilton.
Pack & Give Back!
We hosted our first 'Pack and Give Back' event in Christchurch on May 9th and it was an incredible success!
Firstly, we'd like to thank all of the businesses, organisations, donors and individuals who volunteered their time to help us support the Salvation Army with packing food parcels for those in need.
There was no shortage of support from our founding partners Silver Fern Farms, Fonterra and Beef + Lamb who kindly lent their teams to get the job done.
Our stakeholders were able to learn more about Meat the Need, food insecurity and to witness first-hand the impact donations are having on those who need it most. The Salvation Army were extremely grateful for this positive agricultural collaboration.
The overwhelming positive feedback has also inspired us to bring this initiative to various towns across the country - so stay tuned and if you'd like to get involved or help to organise a similar event in your region, please let us know!
Rural Heroes!
Meat the Need volunteer champions John and Cara Gregan, have been nominated for Rural Hero of the Year at the 2024 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards. Their dedication and passion for Meat the Need, their community and rural NZ is truly inspiring and we couldn't be prouder of them!
Raising awareness in Waikato, Taranaki & Canterbury
We've been on the ground raising awareness of the food insecurity and need in these regions.
The demand for our services is currently unprecedented with more than 100 food banks and community organisations on our wait list.
In order to service this demand, we need our sector to step up and increase produce donations of meat and milk.
Canterbury alone requires 76,000 more meals this year for 15 food banks. We partnered with the Breeze Canterbury and also implemented a series of bus backs!
Taranaki requires 46,000 meals this year for 9 food banks!
In 2023 the New Plymouth Food Bank distributed 3,816 food parcels, and a steady increase in demand has seen 1,620 food parcels supplied in the first four months of this year alone.
“We are a community led foodbank, for the community by the community. People who come to us for assistance are the neighbours, family, work colleagues and friends of all of us.”
Why does PGG Wrightson Seeds support Meat the Need?
PGG Wrightson Seeds have been an integral part of New Zealand’s farming landscape for over 150 years. Put simply, farmers are the reason we are here. When we heard about Meat the Need, along with their ongoing mission to see that no one goes hungry and the fact that they were a farmer founded and led charity – our decision to sign on as a Platinum Sponsor was an easy one.
What does it mean for PGG Wrightson Seeds to know the difference you are making?
Our support of Meat the Need is something we are very proud of. It is still a relatively new initiative, but the ethos behind it and the drive to directly link primary producers with New Zealanders who are most in need was just so unique and yet so obvious. We didn’t think twice about getting involved and making a real difference in peoples lives.
How does our partnership support your strategy?
Respect for the environment and awareness of the impact we have on the world around us; its natural resources, ecosystems and our communities, are core to PGG Wrightson Seeds and our approach to issues of environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
As a result of this, our partnership and support of Meat the Need is something we proudly communicate at every opportunity – this is reflected on our websites, our social media communications and even on the banner we display in our office reception area!
Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
(With your contribution and mine, the people will thrive.)
Upcoming Ag Events
SIDE (South Island Dairy Event)
Monday 24th June – Wednesday 26th June at Lincoln University, Christchurch
The South Island Dairy Event (SIDE) is a forum for those involved in the South Island dairy industry to evaluate and apply knowledge, skills and technology to their business. The key drivers of SIDE are South Island Dairy Farmers. The focus and delivery of all SIDE events is guided by farmer needs and on-going evaluation.
Thursday 4th & Friday 5th July at Ruralco Store, Ashburton
Ruralco’s Instore Days provide a fantastic opportunity to take a much-needed break from work, get off the farm, shop hundreds of fantastic deals & connect with fellow farmers and rural businesses. They're celebrating 30 years of Instore Days and will be giving away $30,000 worth of travel vouchers, as well as over 30 in-store prizes valued at $500 each.
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