New Zealand · Farmers selling direct to the public
Interested in joining Out the Farm Gate?
New Zealand’s first platform for farmers to sell direct to the public — no website, no social media, no special licence. We handle the hard work so you can focus on farming.
Why list with Out the Farm Gate
Selling direct to the public has never been simple — until now
Until now, farmers in New Zealand haven’t had a straightforward way to sell direct to the public. The regulations, the presale requirements, finding the right abattoir, connecting with a licensed butcher, managing buyer enquiries — it’s a lot of moving parts on top of an already full farming operation.
Out the Farm Gate is a central platform where members of the public can browse farmers by region, choose who they want to buy from, and place their order. We do the preselling. We manage the communication. We handle the electronic cut sheet so the buyer deals directly with the butcher. You don’t handle the meat, you don’t need a special licence — you just carry on farming and earn more by cutting out the middleman.
We presell your animals for you
Mobile abattoirs require a minimum number of presales before a kill — typically 4 cattle or around 20 sheep. We fill those spots so you can proceed with confidence.
No special licence required
Because the buyer deals directly with the butcher — paying them and collecting from them — you have no handling obligations. You just farm.
Electronic cut sheets
Buyers specify their cuts through our online cut sheet. The butcher receives a clear order and processes to those specs. No phone calls, no confusion.
Abattoir connections
Don’t have a local micro or mobile abattoir? We can help connect you with options near you — that’s part of what we do when we onboard you.
No website or social media needed
Your farmer page on Out the Farm Gate is your shopfront. No Facebook, no Instagram, no building anything. We handle the digital side completely.
You get paid directly by the buyer
A deposit when the slaughter date is confirmed, then a final payment based on actual carcass weight once the animal is weighed on slaughter day. No middleman holding your money.
How it works
From sign-up to first sale
Fill out the short form below. Stephen will call you within a few days to walk through the model and whether it’s a fit for your farm — no pressure.
We build your farmer page, connect your butcher to the system, and help you identify a suitable micro or mobile abattoir nearby if you don’t already have one.
The public browse by region and select farmers they want to buy from. We fill the required presale numbers — typically 4 cattle or around 20 sheep for a mobile abattoir — before a kill date is confirmed.
Once presold, you arrange the kill through your abattoir. Buyers receive a deposit request and pay you directly once a slaughter date is set. After the animal is weighed on slaughter day, buyers pay the balance — the final price is based on actual carcass weight. Buyers then deal directly with the butcher for processing and collection.
Who we list
Is this the right fit for your farm?
You don’t need to have sold direct before — most farmers joining Out the Farm Gate are doing it for the first time. You do need to have animals to sell, access to a local abattoir (micro or mobile), and a relationship with a butcher who holds a dual operator’s licence. If you don’t have those connections yet, we can help you find them.
We list farmers selling beef, lamb, mutton, and specialty meats including heritage breeds. What matters most is that you’re proud of how you farm and comfortable with the public knowing your name and your story. If that’s you, let’s talk.
Register your interest
Ready to list your farm?
It takes two minutes to register. Stephen will call you within a few days — no pressure, just a conversation about whether it’s a good fit.
Register Interest →Prefer to talk first? Call Stephen on 021 943 862
Common questions
What farmers usually ask
There is no charge to list at this stage. We’re building the platform and growing the farmer network, and we want to make it as easy as possible for farmers to get started. Fees may be introduced in the future, but any changes would be communicated well in advance.
You get paid directly by the consumer — not through Out the Farm Gate. There are two payments: a deposit once a slaughter date has been confirmed, and a final payment once the animal has been weighed on slaughter day (since carcass weight determines the final price). The buyer pays you directly at each stage.
No. Because the buyer deals directly with the butcher — they pay the butcher and collect from the butcher — you’re not handling or selling processed meat. Your role ends at the farm gate. The butcher is the licensed operator in the chain; they need a dual operator’s licence, not you.
Mobile abattoirs typically require a minimum number of confirmed buyers before they’ll schedule a kill — around 4 cattle or 20 sheep is common, though it varies by operator. Out the Farm Gate fills those spots for you through the platform before a kill date is set. You don’t proceed until the numbers are there.
Yes — finding those connections is part of the onboarding conversation. We have relationships with mobile abattoir operators and butchers holding dual operator’s licences across a number of regions. We’ll help match you with suitable options near you.
If you already have a good butcher relationship, we can work with them — they’ll need to hold a dual operator’s licence and be willing to receive electronic cut sheet orders. If you don’t have one, we’ll connect you with a suitable partner in your area.
Currently beef, lamb, mutton, and specialty meats including heritage breeds. If you’re farming something less common — water buffalo, heritage pork, goat — get in touch, we’re interested.
Once we’ve spoken and agreed to move forward, we typically have a new farmer page live within one to two weeks. We’ll need some details about your farm, your pricing, and a few photos — we’ll walk you through exactly what we need.
