Farmers helping Meat the Need charity via Silver Fern Farms

Local farmers Leicester and Margaret Gray along with their son Callum and his wife Sarah are happy to be part of the charity Meat The Need. Photo / Supplied

Mince — it must be the most versatile red meat you can buy.

Most people would be able to come up with a nutritious meal by just adding some flavour and vegetables. It goes a long way and it's reasonably priced.

However, there are many people out there who still can't afford to buy enough food to feed their family.

It's not surprising that the need for food parcels is growing with the price of housing and accommodation skyrocketing — and there's no end in sight.

That's why I think Silver Fern Farms' charity Meat the Need is a fantastic idea.

It was created by farmer Wayne Langford and Siobhan O'Malley of Pukeko Pastures, and partners with Silver Fern Farms. Meat the Need has been running for a little over a year.

It follows a successful pilot in Christchurch which started in the midst of Covid 19 and has quickly grown in one year supplying quality beef mince to more than 50 foodbanks throughout the country.

Wayne is also the founder of You Only Live Once (YOLO). He has built a big following online documenting his journey to have "lived" each day with his family on their farm in Golden Bay and in the community – he started the blog as a way to shift his perspective and to help combat struggles with depression.

Meat the Need enables farmers to help feed Kiwi families in need by providing the means for them to donate livestock through its charitable supply chain.

Silver Fern Farms plays a pivotal role in this supply chain by processing the livestock to create high-quality natural beef mince and facilitating the delivery of the end-product to foodbanks.

Local farmers Leicester and Margaret Gray along with their son Callum and his wife Sarah are happy to be part of the charity.

The family, who run a farm on Ruataniwha Plains between the Tukituki and Waipawa rivers, donate two cattle beasts every year with $600 from each going toward the charity.

Leicester said they had been in Auckland about a year ago and were blown away by a couple who were running a food charity.

"There was miles of food but what really made us stop and think was the amount of people that needed it," Leicester said.

"It's sad to think that some kids go to school with no food in their belly. They can't learn like that. We had heard of Meat the Need and thought it was the perfect way to help.

"I take my hat off to Silver Fern Farms. What they are doing is of huge benefit to a lot of people. I think so far they have provided more than 4000 packets of beef to foodbanks."

Margaret said mince was the perfect food to supply in a food parcel.

"It's high quality mince, not full of fat, it's nutritious and so easy to make a meal out of. Everybody needs a bit of red meat. It's full of iron and just by adding a few veges such as carrots you have a satisfying meal."

Wayne said many New Zealanders have needed a hand-up this past year and farmers had really stepped up to the plate in giving generously to Meat the Need.

"Silver Fern Farms has also played a key role in promoting it with their network of farmers, processing the livestock and facilitating the distribution of the meat. With their support, our supply chain is going from strength-to-strength," he said.

Farmers who supply livestock to Silver Fern Farms can donate the value for an agreed number of livestock into the Meat the Need charity fund through a simple booking process. Other farmers and the general public can also support Meat the Need by making donations via its website: MeattheNeed.org