32 | Always thinking outside the box Richard Loader Entering the 2023 Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards provided the opportunity for Tom and Carrie Andrews to showcase to the farming community and beyond an approach to drystock farming that was outside of the accepted norms. The couple own and operate Wholly Cow, a beautiful park like beef and sheep farm just on the outskirts of Cambridge, and have evolved a circular farming system that embraces the land, the animals, an abattoir and town butchery. With all waste going back onto the land to feed the soils that feed the grass that feeds the animals that feed the people, it is indeed a virtuous circle. First time entrants in the prestigious awards, Tom, Carrie, their son Luke, and all the team members who make the Wholly Cow operation work, were rewarded with success in the NZFET Innovation Award. Proud of their farm and what they do, Carrie says she and Tom wanted to demonstrate that the integration between the environment and farming can work, and still be profitable. “We were very pleased to have been awarded the innovation category because it acknowledged the effort we have gone to with our end-to-end farm processes. It was about taking the risk and doing something completely out of the norm from what a drystock farmer would do, which is usually a linear process where the stock is finished and sold on.” Tom and Carrie’s farming launched their farming journey 15 years ago when they bought their farm. Prior to that they had a very limited farming background. “Tom is ex-roading and I have a fine arts background. We are practical pragmatic people who get on and get things done. We didn’t approach farming with pre-loaded ideas of what to do; we have done it all by ourselves. We’re Kiwi’s and New Zealand was built on innovation by pioneers. But sometimes we forget that, so, it’s good to see that you can do it, you can be courageous and you can take risks. To us success is when everything is in synch and balanced — the people, the staff, the animals, the land. The system we have is more than just getting the bottom line, it’s a holistic approach to farming and feeding people.” Wholly Cow has been a progressive journey, starting as a typical drystock farm finishing sheep and beef and selling on to a processor, with the meat going to export. After a while Carrie, with four children in tow, and Tom started taking meat to local farmers markets, RURAL PEOPLE » Wholly Cow which evolved into selling meat from a small retail shop. Major changes occurred seven years ago when the couple purchased a retail butchery in Cambridge, and then added their own on-farm abattoir in 2018, which now processes all their stock. “We process approximately 350 Angus cattle and 2500 lambs each year,” says Carrie. “We buy from an East Coast farmer —Waiotane Station — who follows the regenerative farming approach. The abattoir works one day a week. The way we process animals is not stressful for the animals; it’s one at a time, it’s instant, and there’s no transporting and leaving the processing up to someone else. Our vision is to have high quality meat, look after the environment and sell at a fair price. We want to show people that farming is great. If as farmers we take responsibility, it can be done really well, and it’s all part of a cycle.” Your Farm Animal Health Professionals Proud to provide a full range of veterinary services for Wholly Cow Mon-Wed 8am - 7pm | Thurs-Fri 8am - 5pm | Sat 9am - 12.30pm | Sun 9am - 12pm Empire Street 24 Hour Service 827 7099 or 0800 226 838 www.cambridgevets.co.nz Tom and Carrie’s cattle have ample space and tucker.
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