Farming, nurseries and organic gardens
(This industry provides employment for over 400 prisoners)
Did you know CIE operates:
- 2 dairy farms
- 3 dry stock farms
- 1 piggery
- 2 sheep farms
- 3 organic gardens
- 6 nurseries
Where are products from these industries sold?
- Milk is sold to Fonterra.
- Fattened pigs are sold to Freshpork.
- Wool and meat is sold through Affco and PPCS.
- Plants can be bought directly from the nurseries in large quantities and are commonly sold to local councils (see below for nursery details).
- Organic produce is sold to Fresh Direct and can be found on supermarket shelves.
Prison farm facts:
- Waikeria Prison dairy farm:
- produces approximately 1 million kilograms of milk solids a year
- covers 1,000 hectares of land
- comprises a herd of 3,200 cows
- Otago Corrections Facility dairy farm, established July 2007:
- is expected to produce approximately 130,000 kilograms of milk solids a year
- covers 130 hectares of land
- comprises a herd of 400 cows
- Dry stock farms:
- located at Hawkes Bay, Spring Hill and Tongariro/Rangipo prisons
- cover 330 hectares of land
- are used to raise calves and heifers from main farms
- Christchurch Men’s Prison piggery:
- fattens between 15,000 and 16,000 pigs a year
- maintains approximately 800 sows for breeding
- houses pigs housed in eco-friendly barns
- won awards at the 2007 Freshpork Carcass competition
- Christchurch Men’s Prison sheep farm:
- covers 800 hectares of land
- comprises 4,000 sheep
- Tongariro/Ranigpo Prison sheep farm:
- covers 2,500 hectares of land
- comprises 10,000 sheep
Prison organic garden facts:
- Christchurch Men’s Prison organic garden, established July 2007
- covers 27 acres
- expected to produce approximately 150 tonnes of crop a year
- Rolleston Prison organic garden:
- covers 25 acres
- produces approximately 150 tonnes of crop a year
- Christchurch Women’s Prison organic garden, established July 2007:
- covers 2 acres
- is used to grow seedlings for supply to other gardens
Prison nurseries facts:
- Primarily supply local and regional councils and major reparian replanting projects.
- 99% of plants are from an eco-source native source.
Contact your local prison nursery to obtain a catalogue of their product range.
Rimutaka Prison Nursery
Phone – 04 529 0892
Fax – 04 529 0929
Manawatu Prison Nursery
Phone – 06 351 0317
Fax – 06 351 0355
Whanganui Prison Nursery
Phone – 06 349 6840
Fax – 06 349 6981
New Plymouth Prison Nursery
Phone – 06 769 8507
Fax – 06 769 8501
Auckland Prison Nursery
Phone – 09 442 6623
Fax – 09 413 6243
Rolleston Prison Nursery
Phone – 03 347 7840
Fax – 03 347 7856
