Meat the Need: South Canterbury farming family donate 12,000 meals

Lot one buyers Brent and Susan Isbister (left) with Meat the Need co-founder Wayne Langford and Abby, Liz, John and Hamish McKerchar. Photo / Ben Doubleday Photography

A South Canterbury family’s ongoing support of Meat The Need has seen almost 12,000 meals donated to foodbanks across the country.

Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords, from Cave, has donated the proceeds of one bull in their annual bull sale since the charity was established in 2020.

Their 2023 sale last month was their fourth year in a row, with lot one selling for $3000 - the equivalent of almost 3000 meals.

Liz and John McKerchar said being able to donate was a really positive thing for their whole family.

“We get a lot of pleasure from being able to do it, it’s a jolly good cause,” Liz said.

Meat The Need co-founder Wayne Langford was incredibly grateful for the ongoing support from the McKerchar family.

“They don’t just donate an average bull - every year at the Shrimpton’s Hill Hereford bull sale, it’s been one of the best bulls in the category, every time,” he said.

“John, Liz, Abby and Hamish are such an important part of the Meat The Need family.”

Langford said it was a huge achievement to raise enough money to donate 12,000 meals, especially since the last few years had been tough on farms.

“They’re making a massive difference to families across the country.”

Meat The Need facilitates donations of meat and milk from farmers to food banks across the country.

Liz McKerchar said they were blown away to see the contribution they had made when it was broken down into meal value.

“It’s very, very hard to comprehend, to be quite honest. You just can’t quite imagine that many packets of mince,” she said.

“It’s just fabulous, and we’re thrilled it’s of use and benefiting so many people, it’s incredible.”

Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords was founded in 1969 by John’s father, and since then, the family-owned stud has become the leader in breeding short gestation-length Herefords in the Australasian market.

Running around 8000 stock units which are mostly Herefords, they also have Border Leicester ewes, one of the oldest flocks of sheep breeds in the country that is still in the same family.

Liz and John run the farm alongside son Hamish, who is a helicopter pilot, and wife Abby, a personal trainer and sports nutritionist.

Liz McKerchar and Meat the Need co-founder Wayne Langford. Photo / Ben Doubleday Photography

The pair are keen to take the stud forward and have not only initiated a strong programme using single-sexed semen, but Abby has converted the woolshed into a gym where she runs in-person and online classes.

They’re also focusing on hitting intramuscular fat as a trait with their Herefords, and want to breed the best marbling ability possible.

Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords has also sponsored the Canterbury North Otago Dairy Awards for 17 years, which Liz said has provided the opportunity to meet and interact with enthusiastic young farmers from all walks of life.

This was also where the family was first introduced to Meat The Need co-founder Siobhan O’Malley and her husband Chris in 2017 when they took out the Share Farmer of the Year category.

The lot-one Hereford bull which raised $3000 for Meat the Need. Photo / Ben Doubleday Photography

“It was Siobhan who drew my attention to the charity when it launched in 2020, and I remember messaging her and saying, ‘We don’t really kill anything, but what if we gave the proceeds of the bull, would that help you out at all?” she said.

“It’s well worth getting involved, and it’s very satisfying to be able to help fellow New Zealanders in these tough times - there’s always someone worse off that needs looking after.”

She encouraged other farmers across the country to get involved.

“Definitely do it, as best you can. When you break down the numbers and meals, it’s hard to visualise what it would look like, but being able to make a difference is truly amazing.”