About Us

The Craig Family has been poultry farming in North Otago for four generations, beginning with Ivan and Joyce Craig in 1958. 

Ivan and Joyce started with a flock of 200 hens on their first farm located in Maheno, eight kilometres north of the Bowalley Free Range farm. 

David (Ivan’s son) and Linda joined Ivan and Joyce in 1969 and raised their son, Brent, and daughter, Paula, on the poultry farm. Brent and Paula helped with farm duties, such as gathering the eggs by hand each day, from a young age. 

David and Linda started growing their own grain in 1984. The Craig family spent many hours working the land to ensure enough grain was grown for the hens. With this knowledge and the improvement in research and technology, the Craig family continue to grow quality wheat and barley for the Bowalley Free Range hens. 

Brent moved back to North Otago in 1995 with Bridget where they joined David and Linda poultry farming. Tim and Anna, their son and daughter, were also raised on the poultry farm and have both grown up with a passion and appreciation for agriculture.

In 2015, the first modern free-range shed was built on Bowalley Road. This road gave inspiration for the name ‘Bowalley Free Range’. 

As of 2021, there are six Bowalley Free Range sheds each with unique environmental features in the range areas. 

The next generation bringing in change in free-range eggs

Anna and her brother Tim are the fourth generation of the Craig family. Both Anna and Tim have followed in the family footsteps to be involved in Bowalley Free Range and bring with them their degrees in agriculture science and agribusiness. 

What was once done by horse and cart just a few generations ago, is now done with tractors and high-tech automation, yet it’s still a member of the Craig family and their team working hard to care for the hens and provide Kiwis with nutritious, quality, fresh eggs.

Follow Anna and her dogs, Beau and Pearl, around Bowalley Free Range to see what goes on behind the scenes to keep the hens happy and healthy at @bowalleyfreerange on Facebook and Instagram.