SPCA Accredited; Fernglen Farm The key drivers for us wanting to get into the sheep milking industry were based off three things; raw milk nutritional/ digestive qualities, the low environmental footprint sheep have, and being able to farm them in a holistic/ ethical way. The lack of connection between consumers and how their food is produced is a gap that we want to help improve. We saw working with the SPCA as a great step in that direction, an organisation that most of NZ associates with animal welfare, has been a great first step to educating consumers on how we farm and care for our beloved sheep. We believe the more that New Zealanders are proud of the way we [NZ farmers] produce their products, the more it is going to transpire into strengthening the "Brand NZ Image" because they will help us tell our stories to the rest of the world. The SPCA Animal Welfare Certification process takes a holistic approach when assessing your operation, from drinking water quality, to their ability to get out of adverse weather or the animal management protocols that are in place. They are all assessed to ensure that the animals are exposed to minimal stress throughout their lifetime and it ensures there are plans of action ready to implement for different scenarios such as feed shortages or if water supply is lost during a weather event. Overall the accreditation is one that we have been very proud to be on board with as we see it having real value to potential consumers and the wider industries as more people become reconnected with their food and how it is produced. Cameron Ravenwood, Fernglen Farm Director.
Goat & Sheep Milk NZ - Issue 3 | October 2021
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