Our First Light Wagyu, Venison, and Elk farmers come from all over New Zealand. We’re proud to partner with such an incredible group of Kiwis who share the same values as we do. The result of all of their hard work is the most extraordinarily tender, marbled grass-fed beef, and the most delicate and delicious farm-raised Venison. We pride ourselves on the quality of our animals and as a result, we bring the best Wagyu beef and Venison to your table.
Matt and his wife Dana, together with their 2 girls Hannah and Lilla manage Anawai Station which is situated at the top of Maraetotara, in Hawkes Bay. Matt has been on Anawai for the last seven years as the manager for Horizon Farming Limited (HFL), who in turn lease the farm off Craig Hickson. In his spare time Matt enjoys getting off the farm and into the water with his family, whether it be diving, fishing, boating or surfing!
Ananwai is an 1466ha mixed contour sheep/beef and deer farm, with an elevated fertile plateau at the top of Maraetotara, steep hill country that runs down to rolling summer dry country within the Elsthorpe community. Anawai runs between 650 and 700 hinds and finishes all progeny on-farm. The extensive hill country is used for fawning, while the top plateau makes an ideal platform for finishing deer alongside lambs and angus steers. Anawai is a grass-fed operation, but does grow 20ha of kale to get the finishing cattle through the colder months.
Matt enjoys the diversity of farming deer alongside sheep and cattle and relishes the challenge that being a breeding, as well as a finishing farm brings. When Matt and HFL took over Anawai, he didn’t have a lot of experience managing deer (HFL had no deer farming experience), however they could see the potential for improving the performance of the deer, and set about prioritising their feed and well-being, with obvious benefits over the coming years.
Matt enjoys being part of the close-knit family that supply First Light and likes supporting a local Hawkes Bay business at the same time. Venison eye-fillet is always a treat for friends and family on the bbq at the bach over summer.
Poronui is a 6,500 hectare property in the central high country of the North Island, 40 minutes from Taupo. The property is owned by Westervelt, a land resource organisation with a very strong appreciation for the environment and its conservation. In recent years considerable effort has been made to fence off waterways and return land used for eucalypt forestry to its natural state of open pastureland or native bush.
The vision for Poronui is to build a herd of 1,000 cows and work on development of value-added primary products, hence the partnership with First Light to take Wagyu to the consumer market. As a business with firsthand experience in international marketing and distribution, Westervelt knows well how much value First Light adds to the mix.
The Didsbury family first bought the property in 1877. Guy is the fifth generation on Pirinoa Station. Guy came home to the family farm in 1997 and became manager in 2004. In 2009 he became majority shareholder.
The property is predominantly lamb finishing, with some breeding cows and trading and finishing cattle including Wagyu. There is also some cash and forage cropping.
Guy sees a large upside in First Light compared to the normal beef market. The decision to become part of First Light was predominately an economic decision and Guy sees more potential through the First Light system that traditional prime finishing.
Animal welfare is an integral part of everyday business on Pirinoa, and Guys says that this should be second nature to every farmer. All animals should be well fed and looked after in the best way possible. Provenance and Pirinoa go hand in hand. Guy believes that sustainability is also something very important on Pirinoa. The land should be left in a better condition that when we took it over for our future generations to use. He also sees economic sustainability as a critical part of the business. “We wouldn’t be doing it if it was not economically sustainable.”
“If Wagyu is not the healthiest beef in the world, what is?”
Pakihiroa Farms Limited – a subsidiary of the runanga – leases and manages Pakihiroa, the farm on Hikurangi maunga that is owned by the runanga for and on behalf of all Ngati Porou people. Pakihiroa Farms Ltd owns and manages Puanga, a farm on the outskirts of Gisborne that is run as a complementary farming operation to Pakihiroa.
Te Tua Station is owned by Mike and Charlotte Glazebrook. Others involved in the business are stock manager, Phil Lloyd and Operations Manager, Nigel Halpin.
The business is 4th generation and been farming for 30 years. The farm consists of 800ha mixed cropping and Lamb and Beef finishing.
We have chosen to be part of First Light because we like the concept of supplying a niche market in an organized integrated manner.
Animal Welfare and Sustainability are non negotiable on farm factors. Provenance is important to reassure customers their concerns are being taken care of.
In 2005, we were awarded the Hawkes Bay Environment Award.
Our message to you is… please enjoy; we have produced this for you
The Lock family own and manage Lock Agri Limited, located in Alford Forest, mid Canterbury.
When they’re not tending their 273ha property (which includes 63ha leased) you’ll likely find Dusty, Sam, Chris and their families at the Methven Rugby Club, where all three Locks are involved as committee members.
Otherwise, they’re kept busy with farming life – Dusty and Sam (pictured with wife Sarah and daughter Zoe) are responsible for the day-to-day running of the farm, and Chris works as a grain agent for PGG Wrightson.
Sam says First Light helped the Lock family diversify the beef finishing component of their business, which combines finishing dairy X and Wagyu and dairy support. “Grass-fed Wagyu is a great product in a niche market,” he says. And First Light’s values align with the Locks’ own. Key principals like animal welfare and environmental sustainability “are very important to us,” he continues. “By incorporating them into our business, we are ensuring the product we sell is quality.”
And Sam says he hopes consumers notice the First Light difference at retail and “take into consideration the quality of the product coming from a grass-fed animal.”