The theme of this year’s Deer Industry New Zealand Conference was “Future Focused” - examining where future value for venison will come from and how the industry can position itself for changing global market expectations. John Sadler’s presentation outlined how Mountain River Venison is already building value through this approach - strengthening the links between farming systems, environmental credibility, human health, and premium market positioning. A key message througho

Post by Conan Moynihan of Groundshift - republished with appreciation. Last week I had the privilege of helping facilitate Mountain River Venison's Regenerative Agriculture Pilot Group in Springfield, a fantastic afternoon in good company, despite the nor'wester doing its best to remind us where we were. The MRV team brought together a great group of farmers, and we were joined by Professor Pablo Gregorini and his PhD student Emilia, who shared details of their upcoming resea

In April, John Sadler spoke at the Canterbury West Coast Deer Farmers Association Field Day about where the future value for venison is heading - and what buyers are increasingly looking for from farming systems, product quality, and environmental credibility. John reflected on Mountain River’s history, founded more than 30 years ago by Doug Hood, with a long-standing philosophy that farmers should stay connected to the marketing of their product. From the beginning, Mountain

At the Mountain River Community Meeting in Dunsandel on 17 March, Lyndon Matthews of Puketira Deer shared a practical and honest perspective on the journey his family has been on over the past 30 years. Speaking farmer to farmer, Lyndon reflected on the gradual shift from industrial agriculture toward a more biological and resilient farming system - one built through experience, observation, and plenty of lessons along the way. Lyndon challenged the room to think about where