Greenhenz is passionate about delivering organic and environmentally-friendly products to its customers. Adopting sustainable farming practises and ensuring products of good quality, growers Maurice and Neroli put the environment and their customers first.
Inspired by an organic poultry farm in France, Maurice and Neroli embarked on their farming journey. Both with a background of farming experience, they started a dairy and pig farm on land that had been in their family for 75 years. Gradually, they moved on to sheep and beef, now running a certified organic farm with a high focus on poultry.
Greenhenz’s unique organic practises, and traceability system guarantees the integrity of the eggs. This computer-based system helps with their supply and demand, which allows flexibility in orders. Moreover, Maurice and Neroli grow their crops, breed, and finish cattle and lambs for high-value markets.
“We have a lot of diversity in our pastures with many deep rooting plants that the poultry graze. Also, our pastures are allowed to grow long and sometimes allowed to seed, providing a diversity of seed and bugs for the poultry to pick at,” said Maurice.
With a wide range of tasks, Maurice and Neroli complete each day. Keeping up with compliance and administration, as well as marketing and communications, comes with challenges. The most brutal year was the past winter when they had 200mm of rain over two days. Having to sell cattle or send them away for grazing, Maurice and Neroli had to wait until the soil dried.
With their eggs sold from Christchurch to Invercargill, their customers range from cafes, restaurants, and organic stores to fruit and vege shops and supermarkets. Their eggs are unique on the market without GMOs, no meat products in the poultry feed, and raised on pasture, including no artificial colourants, and all old hens are rehomed.
With the climate constantly changing, food producers must be resilient regarding their farming systems. Maurice and Neroli understand the importance of doing their part towards reducing our carbon footprint. Their goals for the future are to continue building a resilient farming system.
