Welcome to Wangapeka Downs

Our vision is, that one day, the demand by the Domestic Market is to be consuming locally grown produce, knowing its origin and farming practices, thus enabling us to be farming for this purpose.

A few years ago I was asked to provide fresh milk for a cheese course. The enthusiasm and comments on how nice the milk was, interest in where our farm was and how we farmed, and the appreciation for bringing our milk along, spurred my husband Daryl and I (Karen) along on our new goal. We are both from a dairy, sheep and beef farming background, milking cows for Fonterra for 22 years before deciding to leave the industry to pursue a new approach to farming and food.

We grew up with our dairy, meat and vegetables all being grown and made from home, a privilege given to most farming families. We had been looking for ways to diversify. Supplying milk for the cheese course made us aware that people in the region were sourcing local produce we decided to develop a small direct farm to market business.

The market business goal was to provide quality products that are completely natural, the way nature intended them be. To achieve our goal we have researched traditional approaches to milking and making dairy products. Our philosophy here is to feed our animals with nutrient dense pasture with an wholistic approach to animal health and welfare.