10 | Ange Davidson Couple hatch award winning project Pip and Brian run seven flocks of free-range hens at their Certified Organic property. Manawatū Business Awards: The Egg Project REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT A social enterprise in the Manawatu claimed the top prize in the Agriculture and Food Section of the Zorb Manawatu Business Awards last year. Called The Egg Project, fresh free-range and organic eggs are delivered from the farm gate near Bainesse to over 3500 customers. The masterminds behind The Egg Project are Pip Chrystall and her partner Brian Kennerley whose family has been in the poultry business for more than 30 years. The Egg Project started in 2019 as a fundraising opportunity for local community groups such as schools, early childcare centres, businesses, and community groups. For every dozen of eggs ordered, a dollar was given back to the group and orders were delivered to one location for pick up. Roll on Covid lockdowns and Pip was scrambling to find ways to keep eggs rolling out into the community. “We couldn’t stop as our hens weren’t stopping plus we were an essential business. I made contact to get addresses, manually plotted and reconciled payments and we started delivering eggs to the homes of all the people who were supporting us through different fundraising groups. Back then it was just me running solo,” says Pip. “We were building a website with On-Line Design in Whangarei for the fundraising side of our business and once the gate to door deliveries had started, we couldn’t stop as it was what the community really wanted. We had to make a quick pivot to our business model and our website design,” Pip laughs. Now The Egg Project is making up to 250 deliveries a day in the Manawatu area and once a fortnight, deliver further afield to Whanganui and Rangitikei. In the past 24 months, they have delivered over 2,582,731 eggs. “Our drivers and on farm staff are brilliant! To be sustainable, we need to be efficient with deliveries so communication is key, we work with our customers as to how we can streamline this. :We have people building special egg boxes at their gates. Our customers are amazing and want a relationship with us, the producers, and their food. “They want to support the little local people,” Pip believes. Known as the Egg Lady, Pip strengthens this relationship by writing an egg-inspired blog called Pip’s Tips, and being active on social “Our customers are amazing and want a relationship with us, the producers, and their food. They want to support the little local people.” Gribbles Scientific providing tailored solutions for all your food, environmental and product testing needs. Microbiology, pathogen testing, analytical chemistry, nutritional analysis, shelf life testing & more. Talk to us today. 0800 GRIBBLES gribblesscientific.co.nz Proud to support The Egg Project ERROL MCAULIFFE media. Giving back to community is the driver behind the Project and Pip is currently working with more than 45 fundraising groups. By removing the middleman, the profit margin is kept in the community. The Egg Project also supports the Ruahine Egg Project which is working towards reintroducing kiwi to the Ruahine Ranges by 2026. Pip’s customers can donate one egg for 40 c each that will be used as bait in pest traps. People are also supported by The Egg Project with 25 dozen eggs a week going to food pantries, Pātaka Kai, Women’s Refuge, and community centres. Over Covid lockdowns more than 10,000 eggs were given away to community groups. “It’s all part of a holistic picture for The Egg Project, and the same respect and care that goes into our chickens and eggs goes into nurturing our customers and the community. We’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve received from people over the past two years,” says Pip. Pip and Brian run seven flocks of free-range hens at their Certified Organic property at Bainesse. They have planted the property in pine nuts, avocadoes and pine trees for future income while providing essential shade for the chickens and protection from roving hawks. As well as supporting The Egg Project, the team produces certified organic eggs for export and supply organic eggs to other brand lines. Not to put her eggs into one basket, Pip has also created an accommodation business at Himatangi Beach called Coastal Retreat. Launched in December last year, there are three Mongolian yurts plus an 80 x 40m grass arena for those who want to holiday with their horses. “We need a holiday!” laughs Pip. “We’re now employing good people to learn the ropes and we can take a breather. “We’ve run on pure determination and stubbornness over the past two years, but there’s no way we could have done all this without local support. We’re extremely grateful.”
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