Royalburn Station opens to the public for charity
Royalburn Station is opening to the public for the first time this summer to raise funds for charity.
The regenerative alpine farm, owned by cook, dietician and TV personality Nadia Lim and fifth-generation farmer Carlos Bagrie, will host three limited-capacity tours on January 18, February 5, and March 3, 2024.
All proceeds from the tours will be donated to Garden to Table, KiwiHarvest and Basket of Blessings.
Lim says the charity farm tours are an opportunity for them to share their spectacular farm on the Crown Terrace, and give back to the local community.
“We’ve called Royalburn Station home for five years now and we couldn’t be happier living in this part of the world – we’ve had incredible support from the local community,” she says. “We’re now at a point where we can share what we’ve been working on and help connect people with how their food is grown.
“The station is one of New Zealand’s oldest farms so it’s quite fascinating to wander around and see the relics from the 1880s, as well as the animals. One hundred per cent of the ticket sales will go directly to Garden to Table, KiwiHarvest and Basket of Blessings, who are doing awesome work with sharing food, nurturing the environment and minimising waste – values that are super important to us.”
Royalburn Station is one of the most innovative and diverse farms in the country. It is a large-scale farm-to-plate operation that grows enough food to feed thousands of people, from award-winning fine lamb, pasture-raised eggs, Swifty beer and honey to spray-free vegetables, oils, grains and seeds. Its focus is on ethical and sustainable food production, harnessing regenerative farming practices and zero-waste circular systems to protect the land and help the animals thrive.
A limited number of tickets are available for each charity farm tour, which are guided by either Carlos, Nadia or one of the Royalburn Station team. The tours explore several areas of the historic 485ha farm such as the 130-year-old woolshed, thousands of chooks and their high-tech ‘Chicken Palaces’, the barley fields which produce Royalburn’s just-released Swifty beer, and the expansive organic market garden.
A light morning tea – prepared by Lim and showcasing Royalburn produce – will then be served at the station’s beautiful on-site wedding and events venue.
“One of the perks of the job is being able to show people how their food is grown and how it goes from the farm to their plate,” adds Bagrie. “These tours will enable us to do that first hand and we hope it’s an experience that people will not only enjoy, but learn something from.”
Tickets can be booked via the Royalburn Station website for $95 per adult and $45 per child (under 12). Tours include transport to and from the Royalburn Farm Shop in Arrowtown, with pick-up 9am and drop-off 12.15pm on all three dates.
