Monegeetta egg producers have found a way to help supply meals to Victorians in need through their new fundraising initiative at major supermarkets.
Josh and Tamsyn Murray, Monegeetta, have launched a fundraising initiative which donates 20 cents from each 18-pack of eggs to SecondBite or OzHarvest.
The Giving 18 Pack program is available at more than 200 Coles and Woolworths stores in Victoria, with the Coles matching a 10-cent donation to SecondBite, and Woolworths will match a 10-cent donation to OzHarvest.
SecondBite is a registered Australian not-for-profit which aims to mitigate food waste, food insecurity and people facing hunger.
OzHarvest is also an Australian-registered charity and food rescue organisation, which provides food relief to families, educational programs and undertakes sustainability work.
The Murray family have already donated more than 1.8-million eggs to charities in Victoria.
Ms Murray said they launched the initiative in November, and hoped to eventually expand the donation across each egg carton line.
"It took a year, we started with Woollies and OzHarvest, but because we sell eggs at Coles as well we realised we needed to do something there as well," she said.
"OzHarvest are very good with marketing, it's Sydney-based, and SecondBite is Melbourne-based, and they're a really incredible logistics company.
"They get food from DC, they're really good at moving food from where it's going to be wasted to where people need it.
"We're in a time when people really need help."
Mr Murray, now 23, said they had grown from an initial 40 hens when Mr Murray was nine-years-old and looked to earn pocket money, to managing about 40,000 Hy-Line Brown hens.
Ms Murray worked previously as a research scientist overseas in Peru, Indonesia and India, and said the charitable ideas were her passion.
"It was a Sunday in February 2017," she said.
"Something happened and we had a flood, and I was losing my mind, we were in that place where we were thinking 'why is it so hard?' and you never get a good answer from that question.
"James [Murray] said to me 'why don't you focus on giving?' because that's my purpose, so then I'd be working to give and not just working for money."
Ms Murray said she then started donating regularly.
"There's always an end use for any egg," she said.
"When we started giving eggs you realise eggs are the best donated food, they are so versatile, they have protein, and they're great for kids and families."
Rachel Simmonds
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
