How one young family has brought this ancient pseudo-grain to local shores and into world-renowned kitchens.
In the ever-evolving landscape of healthy eating, one grain has captured the attention of food enthusiasts worldwide: quinoa. Originating from the Andean region of South America, quinoa has craftily made its mark as a versatile, nutrient-rich superfood.
One of quinoa’s most remarkable attributes is its sustainability. Unlike traditional cereal crops like wheat or rice, quinoa is exceptionally resilient, requiring minimal water and no pesticides to grow. Its deep root system allows it to withstand drought conditions, making it a valuable crop in regions prone to water scarcity. Not only that, quinoa is naturally pest-resistant, reducing the need for harmful chemical interventions.
When we started product development for our new Kids Bars, we wanted to add something that would make them both more kid-friendly, as well as more nutritionally rich. After experimenting with small amounts of puffed quinoa, we loved the results, and were even more ecstatic when we managed to find a local supplier whose quality of puffed quinoa was beyond anything we’d tried before.
Meet Dan and Jacqui of Kiwi Quinoa, a family-owned quinoa producer in the North Island of New Zealand! 👇
What did you do before you started Kiwi Quinoa?
Dan was in rural banking and I was working in agriculture in both the animal nutrition and soil health space. Dan had grown up in Moawhango on his family’s sheep and beef farm that has been in the family for generations. We decided it was time to head back to the farm and were interested in looking at other opportunities that we could pursue alongside the sheep and beef business.
What inspired you to start growing Quinoa? Did you ever imagine you’d become farmers?
We had the idea to grow quinoa in the Rangitikei after travelling through South America and noting the quinoa-growing regions of Peru bore quite a resemblance to home.
Dan wasn’t always set on going back to the family farm, but things evolved after spending time overseas and we wanted to give it a go and it supported the vision of building a quinoa industry in New Zealand.
How have you juggled raising a young family while growing a labour-intensive agriculture business?
Our children (we have four boys – aged 3 months to 9 years) are definitely our primary focus despite the labour-intensive farm business. Life is full and some days it gets a bit hectic but we have enjoyed the challenge and have incredible family support which is a massive help. We have had to dig deep at times to pull things together. It’s been enormously rewarding and having Kiwi Quinoa has given us so many experiences that we would never have otherwise had including having world-renowned chefs use our quinoa in their menu’s, exhibiting at food shows and distributing our quinoa through supermarkets etc.
What have you learned over the years of growing a business from the ground up?
Tenacity and perseverance are a big part of the recipe of growing a business from the ground up. Keeping the big picture in mind whilst still attending to the finer details is a juggle that is required to keep growing sustainably.
Who could you not have done it without?
We could not have built Kiwi Quinoa without the support and trust of Dan’s parents Mark and Elizabeth. We have grown the business organically from our first tonne that we harvested in 2016 to today where we’ll harvest over 400 tonnes of quinoa.
What’s your favourite quinoa recipe?
That’s a tough question! Can I give you my top 3 favourites! I absolutely love the Crunchy Quinoa Salad with Cumin yoghurt dressing
Hard to beat a fresh Quinoa Tabbouleh – the flavours pack a punch and really work together and it feels like its nourishing you!
Finally, I love chocolate, our Quinoa Chocolate Brownie with raspberries is so yummy and makes you feel good when you eat it!
At Crafty Weka Bar, we are thrilled to be able to use Kiwi Quinoa’s puffed quinoa in our new Kids Bars, which not only creates an incredible nutrient profile for our littlest adventurers, but also keeps things local, which is how it should be.
If you’d like to try Kiwi Quinoa for your own cooking, grab an incredible 15% off in their online store until the end of August 2024 with code CRAFTYWEKA (case-sensitive). Enjoy!
