Organic Dairy Hub Announces New Zealand’s First Free Organic Dairy Farming Ambassador

WAIKATO, October: Organic Dairy Hub (ODH), the only farmer-owned organic co-operative in Aotearoa, has announced Te Aroha farmer Gavin Fisher will be joining the team as its official Farmer Ambassador.

Fisher has been a key figure in creating a shift towards organic farming in the dairy industry, paving the way for other organic dairy farmers after becoming one of the first farmers to supply Fonterra with organic milk, explains Clay Fulcher, ODH Chief Executive.

“With over 20 years of organic farming experience, Gavin is an absolute expert in organic and regenerative farming, and his role as ambassador gives us the opportunity to educate and advise our other farmers on best practices in these areas – with no cost to them. We expect that our farmers will see a vast difference through the rest of this farming season,” says Fulcher.

For organic dairy farmers, taking care of their land is a number one priority - without the use of genetic modification, chemical fertilisers, pesticides or insecticides, which can impact the quality and taste of food, and have long-term environmental effects.

“These practices can make organic dairy a tricky industry to navigate, with plenty of restrictions, certifications and other hoops to jump through – Gavin will be ensuring that we have processes in place to support our farmers, making organic farming easier for them,” explains Fulcher.

Fisher, who has previously spoken at length about the risks Genetic Modified Organisms (GMO) pose to the New Zealand farming community, says he’s excited to get to work.

“ODH farmers are a passionate bunch, we believe we have a responsibility to our consumers to deliver what they want, and that’s dairy products that aren’t full of nasties, certified organic, Grass Fed, GMO free and without the traces of chemicals and pesticides,” says Fisher.

“We want to protect our livelihood as farmers in terms of not only being able to supply our local communities but also to export dairy to other countries as well, by adhering to a global standard for organic food. This will help to maximise the many hours of labour farmers spend on the farm, ideally resulting in higher return for the farmers,” says Fisher.

The demand for organic dairy products has grown immensely over the past few years, with ODH expanding from selling raw milk domestically to a fully-fledged agribusiness exporting internationally through its B2B brand A3™, as well as launching its ecommerce consumer products brand, Ours Truly. Ours Truly’s Full Cream A3 Milk was a finalist in the 2021 New Zealand Artisan Awards, which celebrates product innovation by artisanal New Zealand Food and Beverage producers.

ODH uses AsureQuality and BioGro to certify their land and animals, both based in New Zealand. All ODH products have certified International accreditations on them, so customers can trust they are buying from an authentic supplier.

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