Join the revolution
We believe there’s a BETTER WAY.
What’s our beef? We live in a country where good food is for privileged people. Why? Because most kiwi households buy most of their food from a supermarket-based food system that generates excessive corporate profits through a reliance on monopolies, chemicals and fossil fuels. Never mind how this system produces 30-40% of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Grrr.
BUT… “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” (thanks, Buckminster Fuller)
So we’re on a mission… to collaboratively build a new food provision model that makes industrialised chemical farming and supermarkets obsolete. A RESILIENT, future-proof alternative to consumerism that prioritises the wellbeing of our people and our ecology at prices that are accessible.
Goliath: “So what’s your slingshot, Daisy?” We reckon this is possible with… Your loyalty and commitment to eat a fresher, healthier, more local, seasonal and ethically satisfying diet… AND our commiment to the Complete Cow Manifesto:
- A femme-led culture of food production that seeks a just approach to land stewardship – (Culture Change-out – see more below)
- Farming with nature so we’re all better off – (Ecological Wellbeing – see more below)
- Delicious meat for your taste buds and your conscience – (Eater Wellbeing – see more below)
- A fulfilling and dignified life for our cows – (Cow Wellbeing – see more below)
- A vibrant and resilient local food economy – (Fuck Extractive Capitalism – see more below)
Are we speaking your language? Are you already part of the herd? Are you itching to put your lunch money where your mouth is? Join us (and our growing band of like-hearted collaborators) by investing your food dollars in a better future.
Steak, Joints, Mince, Sausages & Other Cuts
Depending on the cattle-beast and the cuts chosen by the butcher to be most appropriate, you will receive a selection of cuts & sizes. Each box will usually also contain premium mince and yummy sausages; real crowd pleasing food!
Better Meat
We produce quality meat from happy cattle grown slowly and for longer on our spray free farm using regenerative practices. We believe you will taste the difference.
Complete Cow Manifesto
This is where we’re going. We’ve begun, but it’s a long journey…
1) Culture Change-out
Fuck colonial patriarchy – that shit needs palliative care and composting. Let’s birth a new culture of food production characterised by:
Land Justice – We are farming on alienated land. Our commitment is to acknowledge this and pursue a just future.
Femme-led – a powerful antidote to a tattered global ecology resulting from several millenia dominated by masculine energy. Join us in ushering in a future where we choose cooperation and holistic care over controlling hierarchies and unbridled competition.
Forever farmland – We farm on other people’s private land, in a culture where land is a tradeable commodity. We are committed to land reform that secures tenure for culturally and ecologically sound food production, and enables regeneration without the risk of development or regression back to industrial agriculture.
Feeling connected – Knowing your food whakapapa because you’re connected to your local farmers and land through local markets, direct sales and real relationships.
Food secure – diverse ecological food production is more climate-resilient, and way less reliant on distant fossil-fueled supply chains.
Choice and control – we aim to give people a choice about where to invest their food dollars, and by doing so increase diversity and reduce corporate control and profits
2) Ecological Wellbeing
Fuck industrialised chemical farming. We aspire to ‘closed loop farming’ where we farm in a way that leaves us and our eco-systems healthier through:
Deep, healthy, living soils – that retain water in summer, distribute it in winter, and can sequester more carbon than we use. Natural soil biology means no nitrogen-based (or other artificial) fertilisers… just cow poo, cow pee and a little lime from time to time.
Big Biodiversity – multi-species perennial pastures meaning no glyphosate, NO mono-cultures and absolutely NO mud farming. Instead we aim to work with nature to encourage the growth of a complex eco-system of beneficial plants, birds and bugs.
Compost – On-farm harvesting will allow us to recycle nutrients from unusable parts of the animal as compost for our fields
Regenerative grazing – smart grazing maximises deep roots, healthy plants and gives the animals what they need at the right time of day.
Drinkable rivers – Growing our cows at the speed of nature on good soil, and with plenty of space keeps the ground water in good nick.
Harm-less packaging – we recycle and reuse as much packaging as we can, and are working on a transition to plant-based packaging for our meat.
Low food miles – We minimise the fossils by delivering ‘farm-to-whare’ to local customers in cooperation with our mates at Little Farms
3) Eater Wellbeing
Come join the herd! Journey with us as we pursue the REVOLUTION (eating delicious, fresh, healthy meat on the way). Here we are committed to:
Accessible prices – we operate a ‘pay as you’re able’ system, enabling people who can pay a bit more to anonymously subsidise those who need to pay a bit less.
Freshness – We dispatch a few animals each month. We aim to empty our stores before the next stock arrives.
Healthy and yummy – We grow our cows slowly on diverse pastures, meaning they are stronger, healthier, happier, nutritious and delicious.
Variety is the spice of life – our monthly meat boxes allow you to try a variety of cuts over time. With cooking tips and recipes we aim to enable our subscribers to enjoy all cuts as equally. We value all meat cuts equally; they all come from the same animal and have been treated with the same love and care.
Connection and control – We stand for you having choice over how your food is produced and where it’s from
Belonging – “Welcome to the herd” we say to our new customers. We are serious about all this stuff. Join us in our purpose and journey.
Low red-meat diet – How about this coming from a beef business?! We reckon a lot of people would probably be better off if they ate less red meat! Our answer: Quality over quantity.
4) Cow Wellbeing
We love our complete cows. Just like we hope for ourselves, we strive to give each of them a rich and fulfilling life and a dignified and painless departure. So we stand for the following:
Breast milk for the win! – Just like humans, the best way of producing strong and resilient adult cows is breast milk when we’re tots. So that’s what we prioritise with cows born at our farm.
Bobby calf rescue – Our other source of new herd members is an annual adoption programme for bobbies from local farms.
Grazing platter – Just like us, cows don’t thrive by having the same tucker for every meal. We strive to provide multi-species pastures so they can pick and choose what they need, when they need it.
Gentle herding – No cattle prods, no hitting, no shouting. Occasionally singing – but only in tune, and not on Sundays. Our aim is to give our cows a fabulously chill life, with shelter from the sun in summer and from the storms in winter.
Herbal meds – Just like with us humans, regular antibiotics a strong cow does not make. We use a herbal drench, and like with our children, if they’re really sick and a vet tells us to give them some medication, we will in order to get them better.
On-farm harvesting – Just like us humans, the ideal is a relaxed, quick and dignified death at home. No stressful and squashed journey to an industrial abattoir. Imagine how you’d taste after that? So, as challenging as it is, we’re working hard on our plan for on-farm slaughter.
Dignity in the afterlife – Given we’ve loved all the Complete Cow equally, we don’t believe one meat cut is more valuable or delicious than another. It’s just a matter of learning how to cook ‘em. So that’s how we run our monthly meat boxes.
A Complete Cow – Currently this means all our meat goes to locals in boxes, fat is turned into glorious soap, moisturisers and tallow, and bones go to broth bones, soup bones, dog bones and bone char for the compost. When we get on-farm slaughter we’ll be selling offal, composting guts and exploring organic tanning for skins…
5) Local Economic Wellbeing
Fuck extractive capitalism! Vibrant local food economies + regenerative farming methods = diversion of corporate profits into rewarding and reasonably paid local jobs. What’s not to love?
Money-go-round – when you let your money circulate locally, it supports local production instead of sneaking off to line corporate pockets. Wherever possible we use local businesses – for our packaging, our website design, our soap making…
A wage to live on – we quite like the idea that ecological food producers are reasonably paid for healing people and place (and working damned hard, tired, covered in poo and sweat etc).
Low input – Regenerative farming might be a bit slower, but we make it up by huge savings on artificial pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers! Sorry (not sorry) banks and fertiliser companies.
Cooperative economics – We’re working cooperatively via Little Farms with a host of local producers to build an alternative food supply system.
Rewarding local jobs – Relocalising some of our food supply means a load of new highly skilled, meaningful local jobs. Shall we reverse that urban migration and wholesale automation?
Stormproof – local food economies can better withstand the shocks associated with stuff like export price fluctuations, big weather events and supply chain disruptions.