Pasture Poultry was established over 20 years ago by Pauline and John Blaikie in Rewa, Rangitikei and Commonsense has been selling their eggs for almost as long as the brand itself!
After two decades of hard mahi Pauline and John decided to take a well-deserved rest and sold their business to Sentry Hill Organics, a 6th generation family farm near Takapau, Central Hawkes Bay, at the foothills of the Ruahine ranges. The hens were carefully moved to this new location where PJ, Tom, Sally and Mike, along with their families, provided us with a seamless supply of high quality, certified organic, free-range eggs, that have been a staple in our stores for over 20 years.
Mike, who delivers the eggs to us personally each week, says:
"The chickens share the farm with cattle, sheep and pigs. They eat a feed mix of organic maize, barley, oats, pasture and plants which are specially grown for the chickens to forage in, along with any tasty morsels they find in the ground. Hens are like people - no two are the same. the size of egg, the colour of the shell and yolk all vary, but rest assured they all have access to the same food and as much pasture as they want - we’ve got eggstatic hens!" (Nice one Mike!)
Pasture Poultry buy 100% of their organic grain locally, rather than importing cheap feed from overseas. The hens also enjoy a varied diet of insects and plants and are free to go wherever they want, whenever they want and to lay wherever they want!
As long standing organic farmers the family has a deep understanding of the importance of the soil, moving the chicken houses every week to spread the nutrient load across their 20ha each year and to give the hens access to new pasture. They also ensure there is a wide buffer zone between the chicken paddocks and their local river, ensuring nutrients are not leaching into the water.
Fresh, organic, free-eggs available at Commonsense
For more info and updates check out www.pasturepoultry.co.nz