COUNTRY STYLE

Along the banks of the Mararoa River and backing onto the Takitimu mountain range, just south of Te Anau, is the ruggedly beautiful Davaar Station – a family farm owned by the Macdonalds.

The Macdonalds can trace their family history on the station to their Scottish forebears, emigrating from the Mull of Kintyre in the early 20th Century.

Shortly after purchasing The Plains Station in 1915, original owner Donald Macdonald hoped to pass the land onto his son. The eldest, also named Donald, was killed in Belgium during World War One and his other son Alick passed away due to the Spanish flu. The station was eventually sold to his nephew; the current owners follow that paternal line.

Following severe snowstorms, and further tragic losses, the family’s sense of innovation and pride in the land helped them weather these challenges.

This was mirrored in 2020 when the global pandemic inspired some more innovative thinking.

Fifth-generation farmer Kate Macdonald, who has a degree in agribusiness and food marketing, was working for a mānuka honey company and returned to the family farm in 2020, just before the pandemic. But when the borders closed, putting her travel plans on hold, she started to work full-time as a farm hand. With her extensive business knowledge, Kate began thinking about possibilities to add value to the strong wool of the station’s flock of 6500 breeding Romney/Perendale crossbred ewes.

While having a cup of tea with her parents and current custodians Fiona and James, Davaar and Co was born.

“The inspiration for the idea came from my grandmother. She was an incredible spinner and knitter and used to make us beautiful home-spun jerseys when we were growing up, and she would even dye the wool using foraged leaves or lichen from the farm. I thought it would be cool to create a fashion garment taking inspiration from her patterns and designs, and sell them online.”

Like many, following the pandemic, Kate and her family realised how vital it was to support local businesses. This led them to work with all New Zealand-based manufacturers to get the product from its raw wool state to a knitted garment.

“I wanted the entire process to be completed in New Zealand. I wanted to tell this sustainable wool story and to have our wool sent offshore and made into garments with large shipping miles, and thus high carbon emissions didn’t make sense to me.”

The high-quality and tactile 36-micron wool is washed and scoured in Washdyke before making its way to Woolyarns in Lower Hutt, where it is dyed and spun into yarn. From there, the wool goes to Otago Knitwear in Dunedin, where it is knitted into jerseys, eventually ending up at the farm office back at Davaar Station for dispatch.

Now in 2023, Davaar and Co has jerseys in four styles and colour ways, ranging from extra small to 3XL.

“I really wanted to have neutral, versatile colours that the customer can dress up or down. Meaning they can get the most out of a premium item that will last them a long time.”

Sold largely through social media and online, Kate capitalises on the Station’s position along State Highway 94 with a small shop alongside her sister’s food truck, catering to tourists and road trippers, as well as the walkers heading along the Te Araroa Trail, which meanders through the farm.

@davaarandco | davaarwool.co.nz

THANKS A LATTÉ