Bush to bowl
Creating nutritious pet food by using sustainable and humane practices to create zero waste, is how Wilson Hobbs and his daughter, Katherine, run their family business.
Starting three years ago, with just a father and daughter spending quality time together, Wilson Hobbs and his (now) nine-year-old daughter, Katherine, travelled throughout the Rodney region providing free pest control to farmblock owners to process possums into a nutritious pet food for their beloved family pets, as well as selling bespoke cushions and throws.
Now the founders of ‘From the Bush to the Bowl’, a product by Matakana Possum Co, have created a pet food company based locally in the Matakana area. Together, they ‘hunt out’ local product, and process, from start to finish, natural, raw meat options that are straight from the bush into your pet’s bowl.
With a rural upbringing, passion for the bush and ocean, as well as a military background, Wilson seizes every opportunity he can to teach his kids practical skills they can use that also one day may sustain life. “It is important to educate them to use sustainable resources, such as pests, to create nutritious and beneficial pet food and to use every part of the animal so nothing is wasted,” says Wilson.
The biggest emphasis is using sustainable and, most importantly, humane practices, making sure there is no stress to any animal, which ultimately has a major effect on the quality of the meat itself.
Wilson believes there is a right and a wrong way of doing things and it’s important to show the next generation what a “humane necessity” looks like.
Wild venison, goats, possums, rabbits, and hares are just some of what Wilson and Katherine process at their purpose-built and MPI-inspected processing plant. No additives are used giving the freshest pet food on the market and peace of mind that your pet is only eating the best.
“Real meat options not only taste great but also support healthy bones, muscles and joints, as well as a shiny coat and a strong immune system.” Their products are available through Matakana, Warkworth, and Mangawhai Butchers, as well as Tuck In pet foods.
www.MatakanaPossum.com
admin@MatakanaPossum.com