Spotight on Suppliers: Handcrafted Produce

Handcrafted Produce is our go-to for all things green, leafy, nutritious and extraordinarily delicious. At the moment the team are based between their original leased farm at Te Puna and their new permanent farm at Omanawa. No Biggie Food first met these bubbly farmers at the Tauranga Farmer’s market one chilly Saturday morning. The passion they exuded for their produce was insane and we immediately knew we had to work with these guys. Since then, they have taught us an incredible amount – from farming practices to sustainability and all things in-between. We are excited about our relationship evolving over time and in turn educating our customers about seasonality and great tasting produce.

Rachel and Brad – the super farmers behind Handcrafted Produce – describe their farming practices as moreganic – which in their words means, all growing methods go above and beyond the organic standards for certification. Placing an emphasis on growing produce for only the local market and sourcing all inputs locally, where possible. They only sell produce within the North Island and prioritise supporting local businesses. Handcrafted Produce aim to grow produce that is not just free of toxic chemical residues but also nutrient dense.

No Biggie Food love using produce from Handcrafted Produce because it tastes so damn good. There is no comparison. A carrot is not just a carrot, it’s so incredibly flavoursome. Their leafy greens are so crispy and yummy. It’s a no brainer for us to use their produce and it makes us so happy to know exactly where our food is coming from and the ethos behind it.

Read below to find out what gets Rachel and Brad excited about their business and the foods they love to eat.

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NO BIGGIE FOOD | Handcrafted Produce. Event, Corporate & Wedding Catering Tauranga.

What gets you excited about your work?

We love what we do because we’re a triple bottom line business, which is unusual for agricultural production. Our work gives back to the environment, provides meaningful work and education for passionate people, and most importantly, nourishes our community. Growing in a way that is not only free of nasty chemicals, but also encourages a greater nutrient density. We’re building a truly sustainable enterprise, where we work as much as possible within a local economy, have succession management plans and use permaculture principles in the design of everything we do. It’s really important for us to dig deeper than the superficial when it comes to environmental issues. Evaluating the evidence to judge how we can actually effectively make change rather than token efforts that look good on the surface but don’t really have an impact. Food production is such a huge contributor to climate change, and it’s certainly not limited to industrial animal agriculture. There are HUGE issues related to plant production also, and the methods we use show that there are alternatives to the current system, that you truly can eat clean.

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I love the face to face aspect of the majority of our work. Dealing directly with our customers, whether they’re retail buyers or farmer’s market shoppers. Being able to communicate the story of our food and the realities of local, seasonal, organic production in a world where you can get whatever food you like 24/7. Because of this, there’s a huge disconnect between growers and eaters. We have the opportunity to throw the doors open on ecological food production and invite everyone in to learn with us. The proof is in the pudding – our food is super fresh, tastes amazing and keeps for a really long time. It’s pretty awesome seeing our community get as excited about it as we are!

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What’s next for you?

This winter we’ve been shifting from our original 1 acre flood prone block, to a new 5 acre block which will be our permanent home base. Scaling up to meet demand has been super intense! For the next 12 months we’ll be concentrating on getting an amazing core team running and getting our systems perfected. I think it’s vital to hire people smarter than you and the team we have is exactly that. They’re blowing me away with their thirst for knowledge and commitment to our vision. We’ll be planting fruit trees, berries and other perennials for harvest in years to come, and adding in a cut flower garden.

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Name three foods you live for?

Oh my god – eggplant!!!! It’s a short season and I miss it all year. I pretty much can’t stop talking about it from the moment we sow the seeds. Cheese. Dream Cheese at the Tauranga Farmers Market makes the most amazing fresh Italian cheeses from locally sourced organic milk and it’s my treat food every week! Fresh coriander – I honestly have this with just about every meal – and just so happen to know a great local grower 😉

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NO BIGGIE FOOD | Handcrafted Produce. Event, Corporate & Wedding Catering Tauranga.

What’s one dish you would like No Biggie Food to cook for you?

That is tough, your food always looks So.Damn.Good!!! I love the simplicity of your artichoke/panko dish but I think if I had to pick it would be the kingfish poke bowl. We only cook fish that we catch ourselves, and have been a bit busy to do much of that lately. I’ll always take up the opportunity to have fresh sustainably sourced seafood elsewhere.

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Where to find Handcrafted Produce

Tauranga Farmer’s Market

Be.Organics/Mount Wholefoods – Mount Maunganui

Huckleberry – Mount Maunganui & all Auckland stores
Wild Earth – Tauranga

Te Puna Deli

Fresh Choice Omokoroa

Ceres Fresh Market & Ceres Wholefoods – Auckland

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