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Courting Sustainability

Alice Trevelyan and Dave Swney are bringing fresh energy to their Te Awamutu dairy farm. With solar-powered milking sheds and a thriving native plant nursery, The Native Dairy Farmer, they’re growing a life that’s good for their family and gentle on the land.

Common Ground

When artist and photographer Raymond Sagapolutele arrived at Castle Hill Station, he quickly found common ground with farm managers Anne and Jason Hann, discovering shared values around care for people and place. The Upper Waimakariri Catchment Group – which Anne chairs – hosted Raymond in April as part of the Pacific Arts Nature Residencies, a collaboration between Creative New Zealand and Aotearoa New Zealand Catchment Communities.

All In

In the third of our series of feature interviews, Shepherdess Editor Kristy McGregor chats to Kate Acland, Chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Along with her role as chair, Kate and her husband, Dave, farm the 3,800-hectare Mount Somers Station. The station runs sheep, beef and dairy, but the family have diversified with honey and lambswool blankets. Prior to moving south, Kate, who grew up on a lifestyle block in rural Taranaki, founded a winery in Marlborough. Kristy says, “Kate has a high-profile role – I’ve seen her name in the newspaper, and have bumped into her a couple of times. I admire her leadership in what I imagine to be at times a male-dominated industry.” Here, in this conversation, they cover entrepreneurship, farming, family and leadership.

Great Southern Land

Kylie Krippner of Wings & Water in Te Anau and Nikki Ladd of Shark Experience in Motupōhue Bluff take us for a wild ride through Murihiku Southland.

An Ordinary Day

It was just an ordinary day in the Strath Taieri Valley for Anna and Bevan Wilson when Bevan had an accident while working on their farm. Although it was serious, the couple are mindful that the situation could have been far worse. Now, one year on, Anna and a fully recovered Bevan reflect on how they handle on-farm risk.

The Sky’s the Limit

Aircraft maintenance engineer Debbie Garlick grew up tinkering with machines alongside her helicopter pilot dad in the small Southland town of Tuatapere. Encouraged by her family to pursue her aviation dreams, Debbie joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force at just seventeen and, from there, her career took off.

A Dream & Hard Graft

A way of life with a love of horses at its core, encompassed by a strong belief that horses can heal.

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“I found myself through weaving”: how raranga has helped one woman discover her place in the world

Sophie Barnes – Short Film

Living in an isolated spot on the Whanganui River – until she was in her late twenties, Sophie Barnes, 31, was told the symptoms she had experienced since she was twelve were caused by irritable bowel syndrome. Despite an accurate diagnosis of endometriosis the chronic illness is something she will likely have to live with for the rest of her life. Here she shares her story with Shepherdess through this touching short film.

Perimenopause: “The idea that there could be a way to resolve this, or even just a name for it, gave me a huge sense of great relief”

Learning to live – and love – with endometriosis

Sophie Barnes, 31, lives in an isolated spot on the Whanganui River with her husband Dorrien.

Ditching the sepia tones of alcohol: “I value my life too much to not see it in full colour”

Angela Taylor, 36, lives with her husband on a small farm in Feilding and works in rural insurance. Seven years ago, she stopped drinking and says that, while it wasn’t anything dramatic that made her give up, her life has changed dramatically since she did. She spoke to Shepherdess about life without alcohol