Mrs Morton and her husband, Gus, are pig farmers, marketing their produce through the Waitaki Bacon and Ham label.
Their signature rustic pork sausage is a finalist in the retail category at the Fine Food New Zealand food industry exhibition which starts in Auckland tomorrow.
Launched in 1984, Fine Food Australia is held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and, for the first time, is being held in New Zealand.
Mr and Mrs Morton have also been asked to supply two pig carcasses for an inter-Tasman chef challenge.
"I'm really looking forward to being able to fly the flag ... that New Zealand pork is in this competition," she said yesterday.
With an "unbelievable" 700 tonnes of pork imported every week, New Zealanders needed to understand the value of eating New Zealand pork.
If people did not embrace homegrown pork, then imports would increase, bringing susceptibility to disease, hormones - "all the things New Zealanders don't do", she said.
Being asked to take part in Fine Food New Zealand was a "huge step up" and they had to ensure their presentation and product was at a level to be embraced by many more chefs and restaurants.
Although they were already dealing with many cafes and restaurants, they had not really ventured into the North Island apart from selling Christmas hams "which go everywhere".
It was an opportunity to allow a wider audience to "discover a taste of Waitaki", Mrs Morton said.
Their rustic pork sausage had been an "absolute hit" at the farmers markets they attend. The 50g sausage was 98% pork, with a natural pork casing, and was gluten and preservative-free.
The couple wanted a sausage that had the right pork value content and was not "crammed with rubbish", too spicy, or mixed with other flavours. They were thrilled with the result.
With 25 years' farming experience, their emphasis was on quality, consistency and an enjoyable eating experience.
They farm indoors and the pride Mr Morton had in farming was "immense", from genetics to staff and transportation. Animal welfare was "spot on", Mrs Morton said.
Mr and Mrs Morton shared the same passion for their business. "He can talk about it [farming], I can talk about the use of it [the meat]. Together we complement each other," she said.
While they will be missing the Otago Farmers Market in Dunedin today, because they are travelling to Auckland, Mrs Morton said they enjoyed the interaction with customers at markets.
