About Us
Our Story
Dad was born in the 1940s and raised on the farm. The youngest of five boys and older brother and protector of his wee sister, here they are, cute huh 🙂
As was the norm back in the day, when you were old enough to walk, you were old enough to help out around the farm, in the garden, feeding the chooks and anything else that you could be put to good use for. From the tender age of 10 years old Dad was making the morning and afternoon trek to the cowshed and processing and preparing meat at the age of 13 was a normal part of life. All this put him in good stead for understanding and learning about animal husbandry and farming under the watchful and nurturing guidance of his father and brothers.
As a young 16-year-old Dad took on his 1st share milking job and by the time he was in his early 20’s his career in farming was well and truly on the way! There was just one thing missing…..
Then Cliff met his Maureen (also born and bred on the farm), and the partnership is still going strong some 51 years on 🙂 Together they have farmed and raised sheep, dairy, and now dry stock. Neither could think of anything worse than living away from the farm. Still to this day, dinner at Mum & Dad’s comprises 98% – 100% of everything on your plate coming from the farm. AND no one cooks a better roast than my Mum!
Now I think I speak for the pair of them when I say that by far their best achievement to date is these fine specimens… that’s me with the hose 🙂 and my older sister and brother.
So the long and the short of it is this… Mum and Dad went into farming for the love of the land and the animals. They have been fortunate enough to dodge the steel arm of the big corporations and have been able to continue to farm in a way that has supported their lifestyle and their passion.
Together they have gone full circle; they have been through the era (or error!) of the “superphosphate” and 245T age. However, they made the choice some 37 years ago to steer clear of chemical fertilizers – the soil and the stock have certainly benefited from this decision. (For more information on the Biological Aspects of the farm click here).
I have had the privilege of growing up on the farm and having spent some years overseas am reminded just how lucky we are here in NZ.
Mum and Dad’s story is how I view NZ farming, the way I remember it, and I believe, the way it should be. Farmer’s out there, for the love of farming, love of the land, and the love of the animals. There is a remarkable difference with this style farming vs industrialized farming where meetings are held in a boardroom and decisions made from the balance sheet.
I want to provide support for all farmers who want to transition from conventional farming. To open up a distribution channel to those already farming regeneratively, so that their meat can be differentiated from conventionally farmed meat. Grandad’s beef incentivises and rewards the good guys, enabling small/medium farms to remain a viable option and to continue farming as we believe it should, with kindness.
Thanks for listening and for supporting Grandad’s Beef 🙂
Here and Now
Our Team
Meet our conscious farmers making a difference everyday.
Maureen & Cliff Bayliss – Brookdell Estate
Maureen and Cliff have spent their whole life farming. They married 51 years ago, and have three children, 7 grandchildren and so far, 10 great grandchildren!
They bought Brookdell farm at Te Uku (a 270ha dry stock farm) just outside Raglan, in 1981. They have spent 37 years nourishing the soil, and raising nutrient dense, healthy stock. Lovers of the bush, and in an effort to support the environment they converted 150ha of land back into regenerate native bush.
The streams and waterways have been tested to show they are pristine clean and good enough to drink! Which is just as well as they have been drinking out of them for the past 37 years 😊
Maureen and Cliff continue to farm for the love of farming – the love of the land and their animals. Farming like it’s forever….