Wild owls live on our Wild River organic farm in special owl-box homes we build for them!
We grow fruit organically — and our owls help keep pesky pests away, without poisons or traps.
It’s just one of the many ways our family works with Mother Nature — to bring fresh, delicious, healthy kiwifruit to yours!
THE WILD RIVER WAY
“The Wild River Way” is a philosophy where less can be more. It’s where healthy living and nutrition is held in equal regard as environment and nature. It’s where our people, the land, and our resources are valued and looked after, not treated like disposable parts.
As a third-generation family farm, we believe in quality, nutrition, and sustainability, using natural fertilizers and avoiding harmful pesticides. We strive for reduced packaging and reduced waste.
Image Credit: Laura Ngo licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. GO TO IMAGE'S WEBSITE
What do wild owls have to do with organic produce?
At Wild River’s organic fruit farm, owls play a critical role toward addressing one of the greatest threats facing kiwifruit vineyards in particular – pocket gophers and voles that wreck havoc on vineyard root systems.
Traditionally, many agriculture operations combat rodent threats by deploying poisonous baits that are known to cycle through the food chain. Other growers blast holes in the ground with propane and oxygen, sometimes sending gopher shrapnel across fields. Such alternatives can be both unsanitary from a food safety perspective and harmful for conservation efforts aimed at supporting wild barn owls and other endangered bird species.
These outdated methods are also inferior in terms of efficacy as compared with constructing and maintaining owl boxes.
Recent studies conducted in the region indicate that the average family of barn owls consumes between 2,000 and 3,000 rodents each year and often remains faithful to nesting boxes for extended periods. Based on that number, Wild River can estimate that barn owls living in more than 20 boxes across its 400 acres are eliminating at least 40,000 rodents each year.
