Live & Grow Magazine 46

Available
Mid
April
Powering Up
Covid-19 put pressure on Kiwi companies
to deliver their products as if it was
‘business as usual’ – even when
the world was anything but.
For one popular NZ brand,
overcoming this challenge
required nothing less
than discovering an
alternative energy
source.
Wildbird energy feed has
been a top seller for Topflite
in recent years as more and
more New Zealanders have
discovered the importance of
supporting their local birdlife –
and all the fun that comes with it.
Ensuring a reliable supply during an
international pandemic is not always
easy; however, the Oamaru-based
company faced a real challenge.
“While most of our seed is grown here on
farms in New Zealand, we were previously
relying on overseas sources for our energy
food range,” says Topflite General Manager
Greg Webster. “When this supply was compromised,
we had to think fast – and act fast too.” “After a hectic
R&D phase we found we could keep the energy feed
to the same high standards, but with locally sourced
vegetable oils and fat,” says Webster.
Then it was time to roll up the sleeves, literally. The
tight-knit team got to work and hand-filled over 4000
coconut shells with the new locally sourced energy mix
in a very short time.
“There was a lot packed in over the second half of
2020,” says Webster. “We had to quickly invest in a
range of new equipment to prepare, create, shape
and pack the energy feed.” “It’s been worth it,
however. We’ve got a great local source,
have employed more people and are
now producing more quality wild
bird feed right here in Oamaru.
And we know our local birdlife
loves the feed – and thrives
on it.”
Since the initial run of coconut
feeders, this new equipment
has arrived, and the familyowned
company is meeting
the rising demand for bird feed
and feeders in 2021. Now a new
product is being released just in
time for autumn. Topflite Energy
Truffles with seed contain a nutritionpacked
blend of New Zealand-grown
seed. Webster is excited to debut the new
product, saying it’s “a bit of a highlight for
the team after their hard work.”
The new energy feed joins other Topflite
arrivals on the shelf over the last year. These
products include the popular sustainable
range of bamboo feeders, including the Bird
Bach, Lantern Feeder and Bug Hut, and the new
Peka Power Pack – an innovative platform feeder
designed for ‘go anywhere’ safety from predators for
hungry native birds.
While a lot has changed since 1974, when Topfilte
first started growing seed for New Zealand’s birds,
the family-owned company has continued with an
unwavering focus on meeting the needs of their
“friends in high places”.
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