Family's free-range egg venture off to a flying start

Lindsay, Sharon and Emma Holland were proud of their achievements in the first month of business. Photo / George Clark

An entrepreneurial South Canterbury family is proud to have completed its first month in a new business venture, especially during Covid-19.

Geraldine Free Range Eggs comprises Sharon and Lindsay Holland and their daughter, Emma.

A self-proclaimed rural-oriented family, Emma worked on a poultry farm in Herbert, south of Oamaru, for a year before studying for a diploma of agriculture at the Southern Institute of Technology.

Mrs Holland had served as a farm accountant for 32 years, while Mr Holland worked as a livestock agent, before they decided to buy the pre-existing business.

After seeing it had been on the market for 12 months, they decided to take the opportunity and run a free-range egg farm - as a family.

"Lockdown meant we could not sign the clauses of our contract and lawyers had to make extensions. The first day of August kicked off the start of our new venture and we have been off to a flying start since."

Their 3.7ha property housed around 4000 free-range hens, with the farm supplying eggs to South Canterbury residents and Foodstuffs' Temuka, Timaru and Oamaru New World stores.

The eggs were also supplied to local cafes.

"We all do it for our love of animals and people. I used to work one-on-one with farmers in accounting and with my husband, too, as a livestock agent, we wanted to continue to get out there with our product."

Mrs Holland said the size of orders differed from week to week and depended on their stockists' demand, but people were stopping them in the streets asking where they could buy their eggs other than at the supermarket.

"The community has been so encouraging. We are just loving working here."