Craggy Range Sheep Dairy Farm - Havelock North Q&A 1 What motivated you to establish a sheep milking enterprise? James is originally from Auckland, however has traveled extensively and worked in a variety of industries from deep-sea fishing to cattle ranching and Sales and Marketing; Kate is from a 3rd generation sheep farming family from Mid-Canterbury with a Nursing and Sales Management background. Their 2 children Theo (11) and Lily (9) were born on Waiheke and attended local kindies and Waiheke Primary in their early years. Living on Waiheke from 2008 to 2017, they wanted to create a business that would allow them to “add to the table and as such the community” and decided on cheese so they created the Waiheke Island Cheese Company (WICC). James completed a course at the NZ Cheese School in 2009 and gained an Artisan cheesemaking qualification. This began their cheese journey. They decided that sheep were the only logical animal to attempt to milk on Waiheke and Kate had some experience of course raising sheep although only for meat/wool, never for milking. Through an old friend of James’ from his younger days in the NZ Rodeo scene, they acquired their first small mob of 4 ewes, were grateful for the loan of a Ram from Cable Bay Farms and began milking with a very small hand pump and experimenting with making products at home. Alongside this they had 5 types of sheep cheese contract made for them which they bought back to Waiheke and matured and flavoured. They spent many years selling their products at the Saturday market as well as in several retail outlets and restaurants on the Island. In addition to cheese, they were also involved in a sheep yoghurt brand “Hipi” (Māori for Sheep) which was sold nationwide in supermarkets.
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Goat & Sheep Milk NZ - Issue 5 | February 2022
James & Kate Clairmont
Alongside WICC, James and Kate have run other businesses on Waiheke, they lived on Church Bay Road and owned The Treehouse Accommodation Bookabach Batch of the Year 2016; they owned a Silver Shadow Rolls Royce which was used as a wedding car. James also spent a couple of successful years in Real Estate for Bayleys. With a firm desire to pursue their passion in the Sheep Dairy Industry, the Clairmont’s made a move to Hawke’s Bay in 2017 where they bought 180 acres on the Craggy Range outside Havelock North. They then went to work building a 10 stall herringbone sheep dairy shed and in their first two seasons they milked 100 ewes and this year almost 200 – and have engaged the nearby team at Hohepa Farms to make their cheese and yoghurt. They currently make a Blue, Pecorino, Manchego, Danbo, Feta and Halloumi cheese with the Blue and Pecorino claiming Gold Medals at the NZ Cheese Awards this year and a Silver for the Feta.
