116 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Hinterland Food T T Hugh de Lacy Targeting top end of honey market pays off Sarah Wells, Hinterland Foods’ head beekeeper, is in the process of converting all her hives to organic. Among the rarest and most valuable honeys on the market, Hinterland Foods’ Certified Organic UMF20+ New Zealand Manuka Honey has been honoured in the New Zealand Food and Beverage awards for penetrating the high-value Southern California organic foods market. Hinterland Foods is a farm diversification project established in 2016 by Sarah Wells who, with her husband farms 1400ha on the fringes of the Central Plateau, north of Taihape. Primarily a sheep and beef operation, the beekeeping side of the business utilises a 400ha family-owned block in the Kaimanawa Ranges that is densely covered in manuka that makes one of the highest possible grades of manuka honey. Its UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) of more than 20 is certified by the Government-audited authority Assure Quality, and Hinterland Foods produces only about 200kg of it out of its total production of around eight tonnes a year. That output is mostly generated on the Wells’ home farm, and includes both bush honey and lower manuka content honey with UMF ratings of 5+, 10+ and 15+. The Organic UMF20+ product was last year honoured by being chosen as a finalist in the Artisan Section of Massey University’s annual New Zealand Food and Beverage Awards, which since 1987 have been celebrating innovation in the food industries. Sarah Wells is Hinterland Foods’ head beekeeper, running hives that vary in number between 500 and 1000, mostly on family properties but also at farm-sites scattered round the Taihape/Whanganui district. She is in the years-long process of converting all her hives to organic - she’s about halfway through already – which involves setting up brand-new organically certified boxes and frames which she waxes with certified organic beeswax. Organic beehives have to be sited no less than 3km from any town or source of industrial pollution, and only approved organic treatments, such as oxalic acid, can be used to keep the destructive varroa mite at bay. “We got into honey to create a diversified farm income stream,” Sarah says, “and we’ve targeted the top end of the manuka honey market because we believe that’s where the best returns are ultimately.” The Wells family collects the honey which is then extracted by off-farm contractors, and sent to The New Zealand Honey Farm in Christchurch, a certified organic factory that processes and packs Hinterland Foods honey into 250gm glass bottles. “Our main focus for the top-end manuka product is the Southern Californian market where organic products are highly sought-after,” Sarah says. “We use social media influencers to create awareness of the product that we supply to niche outlets. Most of our organic manuka honey is destined for California, but we have some available in New Zealand, and also supply bulk non-organic honey to other brands.” Hinterland Foods has also started exporting manuka honey to the Middle East, and after previously exporting meat from the farm, Sarah says it may extend its retail range, or possibly look at how organic production could be applied to other aspects of the farm. “Our main focus for the topend manuka product is the Southern Californian market where organic products are highly sought-after.” THE HONEY PACKING SPECIALISTS PROUDLY SUPPORTING HINTERLAND FOOD From 300 kilos through to 100's of tonnes, if you need independent contract packing of quality New Zealand Honeys, look no further... +64 3 3499 532 100% PURE NEW ZEALAND HONEY www.nzhf.co.nz Nurturing Nature, Sharing Our Goodness. Follow the buzz @beenz.honey
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