They began selling pasteurised premium Jersey milk and evolved during Covid to include cream, trim milk, natural yoghurt, meat, eggs and honey. <\/p>\n
In 2021, Hansen\u2019s son Cam and his partner Amy joined as sharemilkers. <\/p>\n
Hogarth said selling the family-run business was a \u201cvery hard call\u201d. <\/p>\n
However, distribution costs had soared in the past six weeks with fuel costs<\/a> more than double what they were eight weeks ago, he said. <\/p>\n \u201cTo fill the van and the truck it used to cost $90 each vehicle \u2013 now it\u2019s $240. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can go through a tank every day … that\u2019s a lot of money you\u2019re not making anymore.\u201d <\/p>\n Northland\u2019s wet summer and stormy autumn<\/a> also contributed to the decision. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been pretty bloody wet lately,\u201d Hogarth said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve had a wet summer then three storms [including Cyclone Vaianu] within four weeks. <\/p>\n \u201cThe paddocks can\u2019t drain and the grass dies from being underwater that long. <\/p>\n \u201cThis makes it too hard to continue milking through the winter.\u201d <\/p>\n The couple also needed to expand to meet demand. <\/p>\n With the 90-year-old earth return power line unable to provide more power, \u201cto increase production … we would have to shift the factory off the farm\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cNow is not the time to expand,\u201d Hogarth said. <\/p>\n \u201cTo keep going we would have had to find more milk and somewhere else to process it… it\u2019s not the time to be doing it, not where the economy is sitting and looks like it\u2019s heading.\u201d <\/p>\n Hogarth said the sale of the business includes the milk processing plant but not the cows or land. <\/p>\n He\u2019s unsure what he and Hansen will do next. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a matter of finding the right person with the money to buy it. <\/p>\n \u201cThat could happen tomorrow or in six months.\u201d <\/p>\nGav Hogarth, pictured with Daisy, says the sale of the business includes the milk processing plant but not the cows or the land.<\/p>\n