The Big Feed: New Zealand’s rural telethon to help Kiwi families in need

Meat the Need is running The Big Feed, an online telethon, to support Kiwi families this Christmas. Photo / Supplied

Meat the Need is calling on all New Zealanders to get in behind The Big Feed - a rural telethon to help hungry Kiwi families this Christmas.

The Big Feed takes place on December 15 and will run for more than 12 hours, as a live event on social media channels.

It will be live-streamed from Lincoln and feature farmers from around New Zealand, along with celebrity guests, entertainment, challenges and discussion panels.

The Big Feed will be hosted by Meat the Need co-founder Wayne Langford, along with Rural Support Trust Ambassador Matt Chisholm.

Langford is also known as “YOLO Farmer” through his mental health work, along with being the vice president of Federated Farmers.

He set up the Meat the Need charity with Siobhan O’Malley of Pukeko Pastures, to enable 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 processed the livestock and facilitated the delivery of the end product to 110 food banks around New Zealand.

The charity has already raised over 1 million mince meals since 2020, along with more than 290,000 servings of milk.

Although Langford’s a very busy man and December’s a very busy time of year, combining Meat the Need and The Big Feed was a no-brainer, he said.

“As if we haven’t got enough to do before Christmas, I thought, hey, why don’t we have a rural telethon as well right?” he told The Country’s, Jamie Mackay.

“It’s been a massive year and we’ve obviously had a fair bit thrown at us but let’s all get together and celebrate the good things.”

There are several ways to support The Big Feed, farmers can pledge livestock or milk, and anyone can donate $3 by texting FEED TO 206.

“You can pledge an animal from ... wherever you want it processed and we’ll sort that out later - just connect with us before next Thursday and we’ll make that happen,” Langford said.

As for milk, he aimed for farmers to donate a litre per cow “or more if you want”.

One culled cow could provide 550 mince meals for the food banks, Langford said.

Never one to back away from a challenge, Langford will be live on social media for the whole event.

“This broadcasting business isn’t too hard is it?” he quipped.

There will also be over 75 live crosses during the telethon out to different farms and businesses, to highlight “cool stories within ag that have happened over the last year,” Langford said.

Despite his broadcasting confidence, there was one aspect of The Big Feed that had Langford slightly worried.

Listen below:

“There are a few different activities as well, which I’m actually a bit concerned about because I’ve got a feeling they’ve got my name on them.

“They’re talking about waxing apparently - what the hell are they going to do with that?”

A little discomfort would all be worth it in the end, however.

“We want to drive a few donations on that day and see if we can have a crack at getting everyone fed in this country because no one should really go hungry.”

To find out more about The Big Feed, or to pledge livestock, check out Meat the Need’s website here.