Central Hawke’s Bay farmers called on to ‘Meat the Need’

Meat and milk from Central Hawke's Bay paddocks will be donated to the community.

On December 15, Meat the Need is hosting a nationwide event called “The Big Feed”.

This is New Zealand’s first rural telethon, which will be livestreamed across Meat the Need’s social platforms and other social media channels - Facebook and YouTube.

Central Hawke’s Bay farmer Kate Cullwick is an ambassador for Meat the Need, a New Zealand charitable organisation that facilitates farmers to feed families in need via foodbanks and City Missions.

The two-and-a-half-year-old charity connects farmer produce donations with families who need it across New Zealand.

Donation options are varied, Kate says.

“Farmers can donate livestock [sheep, beef and deer] or milk [through processors Fonterra and Miraka].

“Ultimately, Meat the Need believes no one in New Zealand should go hungry.

“We want farmers to be recognised as the producers they are, for the community to see that connection... ‘this is where it came from’, not from a big corporation or from the supermarket, but from local paddocks. Local meat will come back to local families,” Kate says.

The Big Feed is calling to action thousands of farmers across the country to donate some of what they produce. In one day, the event aims to supply one million meals which will fill food banks and community organisations for an entire year.

During the telethon, farmers can make a one-off pledge to donate livestock, and dairy farmers can sign up to donate milk. Business supporters who contribute monetary donations will see every cent go towards providing meals to families in need.

The 12-hour telethon will be packed with entertainment, celebrity challenges, live donation updates, panel discussions and so much more.

Hosted by Matt Chisholm and Meat the Need founder Wayne Langford, the day will be a chance to have a laugh, but underneath all of the excitement is the dedication of the rural sector to rally together to make a massive difference to the lives of New Zealanders suffering from food insecurity.

The Big Feed will be livestreamed from Lincoln University and will cross over live to various spots around New Zealand. You’ll see dairy farmers “cupping up” for the country, sheep and beef farmers pledging animal donations, celebrities showing their support, and food banks showcasing what impact farmer donations have on families. Alongside this, organisations and clubs within the rural sector will feature on live crosses, showing their support of The Big Feed.

Wayne Langford, co-founder of Meat the Need, says: “We’re calling on rural New Zealand to ‘get in behind’ The Big Feed. With your support, we can help to ensure no one in NZ goes hungry.”

On the day, farmers can head to meattheneed.org to pledge an animal donation. This means when you next send your animals in you are pledging to spare one or two animals for Meat the Need.

For dairy farmers, the sign-up process to donate milk is simple. If you are a Miraka or Fonterra supplier, head to meattheneed.org, fill out a quick form and they’ll take care of the rest. The form allows the farmers to choose how many litres they want to donate, in a one-off donation.

If you’re a farmer and the above options don’t work for you, make contact with and they will sort out a plan. On the website you can also donate a “virtual animal”, with 100 per cent of all donations going to providing mince/milk meals to families who need it most.

Everyone in the rural sector is encouraged to play a part in The Big Feed.

Find out more at meattheneed.org/thebigfeed. The TEXT to DONATE option: Text FEED to 206 and donate $3.