54 | Delivering top quality home-grown pork The team at the Cottle’s free range pig farm. Photo: Vicki Wilkinson-Baker. Sue Russell Farming free-range pork has offered Timaru farming couple Hamish & Angela Cottle the opportunity to add value, improve their farm management practices and be part of a small network of farmers delivering top quality home-grown pork to consumers. “They have added greatly to the overall quality of our farm environment for our sheep and beef operation here near Timaru and since starting out at a small production level, this part of the farming operation has mushroomed to become central to its success,” says Angela. Hamish returned to the farm in 2007, home to his parents John and Cheryl, the call very much was to find a sustainable way to bring more income into the overall operation. Pigs have delivered this in bucket-loads, bringing real environmental benefits to the soil while complementing the existing stock management practices. “Today, our pig farming delivers us a strong consistent income stream, by virtue of us being sole supplier to Harmony meats, who can’t get enough of our pork. It’s been the perfect business relationship, delivering real benefits to both parties, with the consumer ultimately benefitting from access to high quality, locally raised pork.” Describing the situation of the pigs as happy seems very appropriate and Angela says it is evident in just watching them run around, play with each other in social groups and have all the space and time the need to grow in a very stress-free situation. “You can just see they’re happy and that’s important to us. They also play a vital role in improving soil health as we shift them around the farm over a five year cycle, so every paddock receives the nutrients from their manure and then this nutrient contributes to the following crop grown for another animal enterprise” Today, 120 pigs go to market each week, meaning there is a constant cycle of breeding, growing and sending mature pigs away that never stops. And to ensure this activity can be well- managed, while also tending to the larger sheep and beef operation, three dedicated staff are engaged, looking after the pigs. PIG FARMING » Highgrounds www.ruraltransport.co.nz T R A N S P O R T L T D Ashburton (03) 308 4079 Waimate (03) 689 6100 Kurow (03) 436 0849 Fairlie (03) 685 8911 St Andrews (03) 612 6605 • Stock Cartage • General Freight • Fertiliser Spreading •Bulk Cartage • Hiab Hire • Cool Storage • Blower Trucks For all your bulk blowing, fertiliser spreading and livestock cartage requirements. At Bleeker Cartage we solely focus on your rural transport needs. We are all to do with farming, stockfeed, fertiliser, livestock cartage and spreading. As well as a blower truck for filling silos. Phone George for Bulk: 027 306 1809 Phone Trevor for Livestock: 027 318 3165 EMAIL: bleekercartage@xtra.co.nz Visit us on Facebook @ Bleeker Cartage Award winning farm to plate butchery proudly supporting Highgrounds Free Range Pork. Online orders at www.choppedbutchery.co.nz Supplying urban areas South Island–wide Phone/text 022 381 3767 Raised right. Naturally succulent. Harmony free range pork from Highgrounds Farms. harmony.co.nz “We do things the way we do because Mum and Dad were early adopters of organic management systems and Dad had the idea of the round farrowing huts and a way to manage that environment that would support sow and piglet health,” Hamish explains. The Cottles proudly belong to NZ Pork, an industry collective of New Zealand pork producers of various size and nature. While farming practices may differ, all members are intent upon ensuring the highest possible welfare standards are adhered to and, as a collective, they’re keen to promote NZ grown pork for consumers here and advance some critical issues within the wider industry. These include the lack of a level playing field for New Zealand producers when it comes to the conditions in which pigs are raised overseas. “It’s something we feel strongly about. Here we have strict animal welfare and health standards that we must abide to in order to sell our pork, while a large percentage of (over 60%) pork consumed in this country comes from overseas where there are lower standards of practice and often disturbing conditions pigs are raised in.” Both agree something needs to be done by Government and NZ Pork has been actively lobbying for clearer labelling on imported pork products. “That would be a really good outcome for local farmers. While we farm to much higher welfare standards than farmers in most countries, it’s not easy for a consumer to make sense of the labelling. Even if it is labelled as imported, it is in tiny letters and often the wording is confusing. We’d like to see big clear labels on all imported pork so consumers can easily know and make their decisions accordingly,” says Hamish. For the Cottles the introduction of pigs into their farming systems has brought multi benefits to the business. The improved soil fertility generated by the pigs has increased dry matter production, resulting in higher productivity across the entire farming operation. “With the sheep and beef and the pigs we have an harmonious farming system that delivers benefits to our animals, to our land and to the consumers who enjoy our meat.”
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