EST 2014
The Dent-ed Barn
OUR PLACE
Set in the stunning Whangaripo Valley between Matakana in the south, Pakari Beach in the east and Mangawhai in the north, the valley is a forgotten paradise to those that visit. Peaceful with easy access to State Highway 1 heading North or South. Purchased in 2014 by Jo and Rob, The Dent-ed Barn is a place where three generations live and work towards the success of The Farm. Jennie, Jo's mum lives in a converted 1902 tram carriage. Jo & Rob are now fully ensconced in the 1913 villa that was transported from Grey Lynn in Auckland and the third generation are the three children of Jo and Rob; all of whom are actively involved around The Farm to make sure everything runs smoothly.
At The Dent-ed Barn, you can just relax and leave the daily stresses behind. As you drive up the long driveway onto the farm, you are greeted by chickens free ranging and home grown vegetables which are offered to guests.
PHILOSOPHY
At The Dent-ed Barn, we want to provide the best experience possible, whether that"s for our farm stay guests or our animals.
Our guests are treated like members of the family, able to join in with our daily lives, as much or as little as it suits.
Our animals are given the very best lives until it is time to turn them into excellent produce. By ensuring that they live a stress free life and by ensuring that they are treated humanely the effect on the quality of the meat is stunning.
EVENTS
Here at The Dent-ed Barn, we would like to offer artist workshops, offering the ability for people to come and wander through the covenanted bush and gain inspiration. The views from the top of the farm along the valley are also a constant source of material to paint.
We are able to house parties of up to 12 guests although advance bookings are recommended to avoid disappointment.
An annual event held in the Whangaripo Valley is the wild food festival. A local event that requires all entries to be truly wild. In the first and only year that The Dent-ed Barn entered, we won the 'peoples choice' first place award
Rare Breed Pigs
In 2016, we were presented with a dilemma. We had five sows, four of whom were pregnant. This resulted in 44 piglets being born all within a few days. We took it as a sign that perhaps this was our new direction in raising livestock
At The Dent-ed Barn, we have chosen to focus our efforts in raising small numbers of rare breed pigs (Berkshire & Wessex Saddleback), ensuring that the quality of life and standard of living are first class. All of our piglets are born in the paddock without any special intervention. They free range for their entire time at The Dent-ed Barn and produce amazing pork as a result. Often hand fed, our pigs have become an integral part of farm life
Producing
The Best Pork
Focusing on animal welfare, the team at The Dent-ed Barn are very aware of the importance a balanced nutritional diet is. Our pigs are fed on superior grain, export quality fruit and where possible surplus vegetables grown on this farm. The effect is a pig that is healthy and produces an excellent quality of meat.
We are also aware of the effect long travelling to slaughter has on the quality of meat. In 2017, the Dent-ed Barn became part of a co-operative made up of local farmers which intend to create a mobile slaughter facility. This means that all our stock is slaughtered on-site whilst being fully inspected both prior and after slaughter to ensure quality. By doing so, our animals suffer no stress and no disturbance to their daily routine.
Our butcher is just 15 minutes drive away and specialises in producing pork products without any nitrates or artifical preservatives, something we are passionate about at The Dent-ed Barn
Farmstay Accommodation
At The Dent-ed Barn, we have found that we love to share our story not only in print but also by offering people the chance to experience life here first hand. In 2015, there were two farmstay cabins built offering guests with a "Glamping" type experience. We also have a permanent two-bedroomed cottage on site offering a little more for our guests that would prefer to be self-contained.
2016/17 has seen a rise in the number of people staying at The Dent-ed Barn. Whether it be to experience the farm and all that it has to offer or, to use our accommodation as a base for day trips. Exploring the amazing local attractions such as Pakari Beach, Te Arai Point, Goat Island marine reserve, the food haven that is Matakana and Mangawhai Heads. All of these are within easy reach with a car.