From farm to feeder: Why buying New Zealand grown pet food matters

For 50 years our founding farm has been proudly growing nutrient rich crops and crafting them into feed for New Zealand’s much-loved-pets. And during those five decades, we’ve seen the benefits of locally grown ingredients extend far beyond the health of small animals.

The dirt on making top-shelf pet feed

A rather understated ingredient of our pet feed lies beneath the flickering green and gold of South Island crop fields. It’s dirt. Very, very good dirt.

Healthy soil is what gives crops access to the water and minerals they need to grow strong and rich in nutrients. The soils of Ōamaru, where Topflite’s story began, have long been recognised for their natural mineral content and horticultural opportunities.

In fact, back in 1871 Henry Mitchell pegged this area as prime land for growing quality crops and grains. That early recognition laid the groundwork for six generations of successful farming, with Pete Mitchell and his son Henry still working the land today at Topflite’s founding farm, Rosedale.

In 1975 Topflite’s very first sunflower crop was harvested. Since then, our founding farm and growing partners have expanded into growing many other types of seeds as well as grains, pulses and hay – all destined for nutritious pet feed.

Choosing ingredients that are locally grown over the imported stuff means we can maintain absolute control over the quality of Topflite feed products. It also means we know that our ingredients have come from farms that use the most up-to-date farming practices. Careful soil management, timely crop rotation and caring for the land are standard for all our growers, which contributes to healthier crops, more nutritious ingredients and, in turn, more nourishing feed for New Zealand pets.

Above: fresh, nutritious seed ready to be shaped into wild bird feed at the Bell Shed.

Food for thought

Seed-eating birds of all species are primed to seek out a quality diet. Chickens, ducks, quail and garden birds are all searching for fresh food that’s high in nutrients to fuel their next moves. The same goes for parrots, cockatiels, doves, budgies and other aviary-dwelling birds.

A great way to assess the freshness or nutritional value of any seed is a simple sprout-check. Just soak it in a little water, wait a couple of days and look for life to sprout from the seed. Sprouting indicates that enough goodness is present for the seed to develop into a larger plant, if it’s given the right conditions.

Seed that has been imported from overseas won't sprout. That's because it is heat-treated, a process intended to protect New Zealand from any unwanted nasties – but one that also strips the seed of valuable nutrient content and destroys a number of dietary essentials that healthy birds need.

That’s why New Zealand-grown seed and grain crops are best for your feathered friends. Seed produced here is naturally nutritious thanks to our exceptional soils, and, because it’s grown within our borders, there’s no heat treatment needed. Bird lovers can be assured that the seed retains key vitamins, proteins, and amino acids and that their birds are getting the good stuff.

The product of hard work

While we started as aviary bird specialists, we’ve since spread our wings to offer a smorgasbord of New Zealand grown goodness for all kinds of pets.

Small fibrevores such as rabbit, guinea pigs and chinchillas benefit from our locally grown hay and premium pressed hay feed. Our timothy, lucerne and meadow hay is carefully cultivated in Otago and harvested at the perfect time for capturing the natural goodness at its peak.

We’re proud to offer a 100% New Zealand grown and made feed for chickens and ducks. Lucky Duck was the country’s first duck-specific feed, formulated with help from an avian nutritionist, and Scratch & Lay is our best-selling chook feed. Both contain a diverse selection of locally grown grains, pulses and seeds for optimal nutrition, much to the foraging delight of chickens and ducks.

To cut a long supply chain short

The benefits of buying New Zealand grown are fairly obvious when it comes to our pets but there’s a boost for human communities too.

Quite simply, buying local means you’re helping to build local.

That’s because every movement from farm to feeder (the sowing of seed, cultivation of plants, through to harvesting, mixing, packing, sending) is done by Kiwis.

When New Zealand growers succeed, benefits spread beyond the farm gate. It means more jobs, more people in rural towns, a better support base for local schools and clubs, and more capacity for regenerating the local environment – take our Green Friday planting days, for example, or the numerous not-for-profit conservation groups that have benefited from The Soar Initiative, a fund we created to return profits back to restoring nature.

Buying locally grown pet feed ticks a lot of sustainability boxes too. Plants cultivated in New Zealand are subject to rigorous oversight of landcare practices (which isn’t always the case for overseas suppliers). Transport emissions are reduced by choosing locally grown ingredients, and packaging waste is much lower than imported products.

When choosing a feed for your pets, it is of course important to consider the nutritional gulf between imported ingredients and the New Zealand-grown variety. But buying local is the right choice for our communities too.