Our Oats
New Zealand just so happens to produce some of the worlds most nutritionally superior oats. Largely thanks to our ideal growing conditions down at the 46th parallel with rich soil, ample rain, and long sunlight hours. At Otis, we're proud to partner with around 70 diverse farmers. The oats they grow play a crucial role in balancing their farm rotation systems, helping to keep soil nutrients in equilibrium, and prevent runoff into waterways.
Meet a few of our farmers below:
Graeme Gardyne
Five generations of the Gardyne family have been growing oats north of Gore since settling in the area in 1876. It takes generations of work to have the latest oat cultivar named after you, but that’s exactly the honor bestowed on Graeme and Elspeth recently for their unwavering commitment to oats, the south, and their community.
"The Gardyne cultivar was developed to grow in southern conditions and had an average yield 5% greater than the L5 variety. An earlier maturing oat variety could be used as a tool by farmers to combat conditions becoming warmer and drier in the South. The Gardyne cultivar was more tolerant to crop diseases in the south, than the L5 variety." - Graeme
Briar Kinney
Plant Research NZ have been the quiet over achievers behind 20 years of hands-on oat R&D, ensuring our varieties are top-notch worldwide. From pest resistance to climate resilience, PRNZ help Otis and oat growers redefine and lead in oat genetics.
"I am really proud to be part of the next generation of young farmers and agronomists, building upon the nearly 20 years of work that has gone into the NZ oat varietys genetic development, enhancing its unique flavour, nutritional and yield properties to give NZ oat growers our competitive advantage internationally." - Briar
Johnny Wheeler
Born and bred in the Mackenzie Basin and now guardian of one of NZs most pristine farms. Overseeing Lilybank Stations conversion to low impact organic farming was an easy decision for Johnny and the team, and oats were an obvious choice of crop.
"Living on the edge of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, it's impossible to not have a passion for the natural world. With endangered river birds nesting all around including the Kaki [black stilt] and multiple native fish and invertebrates, it doesn’t take too much change within this environment to effect their lives. Lilybank made the decision to farm organically six years ago, to preserve the environment and supply people with healthier, chemical free food." - Johnny
Richard Gardyne
Moving back onto the family farm and into the family home where Richard, and generations before him were born, speaks to the commitment of the next generation of oat growers here in the south of NZ. Richard and Holly are fully aware of the journey ahead of them to continue to produce a high quality product.
"The decades of work done on the oat genetics programme here in NZ by growers, Plant Research NZ and the mill, Harraways - sets us up to continue to make advances in producing a fantastic end product. There is no reason we couldn’t expect to see a variety that is internationally superior in terms of yields, nutritional value and that tastes great, whether in a bowl or in a coffee.” - Richard
Carlos and Nadia
Royalburn Station is one of the oldest farms in New Zealand. Founded in 1887 by William McKibbon, its pioneering heritage is steeped in grain – growing wheat and barley for the gold miners’ and early settlers’ essentials of bread and beer. The station covers 1,200 acres, positioned on the flat to rolling area known as the Crown Terrace on the Crown Range Road that winds between Arrowtown and Wanaka.
We’re truly an alpine farm, ranging from 600 to 1,000 metres above sea level. Our climate could be described as semi-arid, with plummeting temperatures and snow in winter, and dry, scorching hot days in summer. Today we grow several hundred tonnes of various spray-free seeds and cereals such as oats, sunflowers, wheat, barley and peas annually. -Carlos
