The growth of a Bay of Plenty-based group providing food to the needy is extraordinary.

Hunt for Good has increased output of its venison mince, made from wild deer culled from farms, by 10 tonnes in 18 months.

Founder Jasper Osborne says the non-profit was formed at the end of 2024, distributing with four tonnes of venison mince to food banks and community groups in its first year.

“Now it’s up to 14 tonnes,” he says. “It’s got pretty out of hand pretty fast.”

This equates to 94,000 servings a year for families in need.

The group’s work was recognised at the recent Western Bay Community Awards, with Hunt for Good winning the Heart of the Community Award.

A keen hunter, Jasper says Hunt for Good provides a win/win scenario for all concerned.

“It helps out farmers by culling a native bush and pasture pest (deer), which is returned to the urban community as meals.”

Weekend hunting 

Monthly weekend hunting missions on farms each bring in about 150 deer.

With divisions in the Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui and South Waikato, Hunt for Good has 70 to 80 volunteers to call on.

These include hunters, those who help break down carcasses on-farm and people who provide transport.

In the Bay of Plenty, the meat is taken to Hunt for Good’s Tauranga base, cut and minced by volunteer butchers, then packaged and sent to a blast chiller in Mount Maunganui to await collection and distribution.

For Jasper, the most rewarding part of Hunt for Good is not the recognition but sharing community feedback with his volunteer hunters.

“It’s pretty cool being able to tell the guys the stories that come back from the groups we support,” he says.

“They all love doing it. For a lot of the team, it’s also about taking a break from busy, stressful lives.

“Spending time out in the bush together does wonders for our mental health and knowing it’s helping people makes it even better.”

Key partner

A key partner in Hunt for Good’s Bay of Plenty programme is the Tauranga Community Foodbank.

“They (Hunt for Good) are the saving grace for the community,” says foodbank general manager Nicki Goodwin. “They have a special place in our heart.”

She says the foodbank is the biggest user of venison mince in the Bay of Plenty, with the donated product contributing to more than 20,000 meals a month.

The foodbank also organises distribution across the wider region.

Nicki says the packaged product is picked up from the chilling facility at Mount Maunganui and “entrusted” to the foodbank from there.

Meals are sent out to community organisations including Kura Kai supporting its meals in schools’ programme; Tauranga-based Good Neighbour which offers various services to those in need; Under the Stars which helps the homeless, along with the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul.

Tauranga Community Foodbank also distributes Hunt for Good meals to its counterparts in Katikati and Te Puke.

“The more venison that is provided the further it can go in the community,” says Nicki. “It is good quality food, and we have a secure supply.”

For recipients at the foodbank, she says there is a moment of disbelief.

“It’s a complete turnaround for themselves.”

Nicki says the foodbank would also love to receive donations of cattle from local farmers.

Instead of sending stock off to a meat works, the farmer and the foodbank choose a home kill butcher, with the foodbank paying for the slaughtering and processing.

Based in Brook St, Parkvale, the foodbank operates on a referral basis with a variety of community agencies.