THE GARDYNE’S STORY
We are a family-owned grain and stock feed business based in Southland, established in 2001. Our specialised facility in Eastern Southland, North of Gore, allows us to provide friendly and flexible service to our clients.
The Gardyne family arrived in New Zealand from Scotland, settling first in Milton before moving to Southland in 1876.
The property, formerly known as “The Gale,” was renamed Viewbrae and developed into a mixed cropping and livestock farm.
The first mechanical tractor was introduced, marking the beginning of mechanisation on the farm.
Clarence (Graeme’s father) left school at age 15 to manage the farm during World War II, due to labour shortages and his father’s illness.
Clarence entered into a partnership with his father, William, and purchased the first bagging header — introducing harvesting, drying, and handling of grain.
Clarence married Margaret, continuing the strong family legacy on the land.
One of the region’s first bulk grain handling systems was installed, demonstrating the Gardynes’ commitment to innovation and efficiency.
Graeme and his brother John began farming in partnership. A second property, Carslae, was purchased to establish John independently.
The closure of the Creamoata Mill, a major buyer of Gardyne’s grain, prompted a shift towards supporting the growing dairy industry. • This led to the beginning of a long-term relationship with Harraways in Dunedin, coordinating Southland oat supply.
Began supplying crushed barley to dairy farms for in-shed feeding, expanding into meal production and installing on-farm silos.
A new roller mill was installed, and an alloy auger truck bin was imported from the United States.
Wheat production increased, becoming a viable crop in the dairy feed industry
The Oat Industry Group (OIG) was established, with Graeme serving as Chair, working alongside researchers such as Adrian Russell to advance oat breeding in New Zealand.
The 40 year CK Gardyne Trust concluded. Clarence & Margaret retired. Graeme & Elspeth and John & Jo began trading in separate entities.
Gardyne’s Grain was officially founded as a company, focusing on trading grain and producing bulk stock feed — separate from the family farm. Imported feeds such as PKE and DDGS became popular, and mineral additives grew into a key part of the business.
A new Alvan Blanch continuous-flow grain dryer was installed, increasing drying and processing capacity. • Early development of bagged calf muesli production began.
A new roller mill and larger silos were installed to support growing demand.
Peter and Michael, Graeme & Elspeth’s sons, began farming independently, supplying feed grain grown on their farms back to Gardyne’s Grain. Rising demand from clients saw more local arable farmers join as suppliers.
A second auger truck was purchased to increase transport capacity.
The company imported equipment from overseas and began bagging grain for flexible storage and cost-efficient use of bulk grain silo bags.
Plant Research New Zealand released a new oat variety named “Gardyne,” honouring five generations of contribution to Southland’s oat industry.
A new auger truck and trailer unit were added to the fleet, improving delivery efficiency across the region.
Calf Muesli production had been refined and calf pellets manufactured and sold to offer a broader range for clients.