| 49 Mobile abbatoir adds value to meat Clearview Simmentals holds an annual sale in September with around 20 yearling bulls offered to the market. Karen Phelps Shane and Kylie McDonald are seeking to add value to their meat and are helping other farmers to do the same. The couple has just started Meat at Yours – a mobile abattoir with a meat inspector on board that will be used to process the meat from their own farm as well as be available to travel to other farms. The result will be better animal welfare, low food miles and traceability in a eld to fork model. “We hate putting our cattle on trucks due to the stress on the animals and we want to process our meat on farm to add value. “Consumers are increasingly demanding traceability so this way people will know where the steak they are eating has come from. Low stress on the animals also means the taste/texture of the meat is different so it’s a win-win. We want to have that connection with the consumer ensuring they enjoy the best possible quality product, explains Shane. Meat at Yours (www.meatatyours.co.nz) can process ve species; cows, deer, sheep, pig and goat. The business will be complemented by Field to Fork (www. eldtofork.co.nz), a food truck, which will head to different events and serve up food such as steak sandwiches, burgers, beef brisket tacos, reuben sandwiches etc. as well as offer chilled vacuum packed cuts from the McDonald’s farm. Kylie’s brother Gareth who is a passionate ‘foodie’ will head this. Shane grew up on a dairy farm in Stratford and worked on a dairy farm for several years. Kylie had owned her own drystock farm when the couple met. Together they went dairy goat farming. When they sold the goats they decided to focus on their stud, Clearview Simmentals. This is run from a 36ha block at Lepperton. It comprises 50 breeding cows, 22 weaner heifer calves, 20 weaner bulls and 12 R2s. An annual sale is held each September when around 20 yearling bulls are offered to the market. Sales prices have been increasing each year with last year the average price being $3300 and the top price $4000. “We had more people competing with some return clients including dairy farmers and commercial beef farmers, the latter tending to invest more as they hold the bulls for longer.” The couple also breed Dexter cattle, an Irish breed, and have 120 cows of varying ages and sexes on the 40ha lease block in Omata around 30 minute’s drive away. “We believe they are two beautiful but quite different meats,” says Shane. “Dexters originated from peat country of Ireland and love roughage RURAL PEOPLE » Shane & Kylie McDonald and have feet slightly bigger in proportion to their bodies so don’t damage the ground as much. The meat cuts are smaller – we have branded this as Petite Meat (www.petitemeat.co.nz) – and are very tender and good for those who don’t want a large piece of meat to eat. Simmentals have fast muscle growth rates and are a larger animal – our mature cows are around 700-800kgs compared with 450500kgs for the Dexters. “They provide a larger cut of meat with an earthy taste. We encourage people to try both. It’s a bit like wine and everyone will have a different take on what they prefer.” The entrepreneurial couple also currently own a chicken farm, run by a manager, and have a small truck cartage business to round out their farming enterprise. NEW PLYMOUTH 36 Eliot Street / 06 759 0105 ELTHAM 11 Stanners St / 06 764 8305 www.schurrireland.co.nz Empowering your ideal future. Schurr & Ireland are proud to support Shane & Kylie McDonald. WWW.MEATATYOURS.CO.NZ
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