Member profile: Fernglen Farm

Nestled along the Wairarapa coast, roughly 35 kilometres east of Masterton, lies a family-run farm breaking new ground. The Ravenwood family have called Fernglen Farm home for 29 years, and since 2019 have been producing high-quality sheep milk. Their endeavor is paving the way for farming with animal welfare front and centre, as well as offering a high-nutrition, delicious alternative to cow’s milk.

Farmers Shirley and Jeff Ravenwood are long-time cattle and sheep farmers. Fernglen Farm is not only where they have lived and worked for over two decades, it’s where they raised their children Ben, Baeley and Cameron. “This is our home,” Cameron, the youngest of the family, says. “My brother and sister and I grew up here. We always loved animals, and I absolutely knew that I wanted to work with them when I grew up.”

It wasn’t until Cameron was around 18 years old that the idea of milking sheep occurred to the siblings – just as their parents were starting to consider retirement. The more the three siblings delved into the idea, the more interested they became. “I’ve got a passion for nutrition, and sheep milk in its raw form is really nutritious,” Cameron explains. “The more I looked into it, the more it ticked all the boxes. Not only in terms of nutrition, but also digestibility for people who can’t tolerate cow’s milk. Naturally it has a lower carbon footprint than cattle farming, so the effect on the environment is smaller, too.” Plus, the farming family admits a certain fondness for sheep in particular. “Working with sheep is awesome. They have a lot of character, they’re really affectionate, and love a scratch before they go into the milking shed. They form that bond with humans a lot quicker.”

Between them, the siblings managed to convince their parents that instead of winding down for retirement, they should embark on a new journey… a foray into the niche (in New Zealand) market of sheep milking. And so the Fernglen Farm sheep milk endeavor was born, and a brand new product made its debut.

Since its inception, Fernglen Farm’s sheep milk endeavor has held the health, welfare and happiness of their flock as top priority. When asked why ensuring high animal welfare is so important on the farm, Cameron is stumped. He can’t really imagine why it ever wouldn’t be to farmers, whose whole livelihood comes from looking after animals.

He credits his approach to animal care with what he witnessed in his parents when he was young. “I guess it comes down to how my siblings and I grew up,” he says. “Mum and dad always had a big involvement in the welfare of their animals, it’s just the way they always managed things, thinking loads about shade and shelter,” he says, adding that their farm is teeming with trees. “Animal husbandry is just really enjoyable. It comes down to that passion for looking after animals and keeping them healthy. Thing is, the more we’ve gone down this avenue, the more we’ve realised that happier animals who have access to the things they should, actually perform better as well. We’ve seen that time and again, with the ewes from the best-shaded paddocks producing the most milk. So it’s not only good for them, it’s good for production.”

The sheep at Fernglen Farm are cared for with the kindness and compassion that the Ravenwood family has always shown their farmed animals. Not only this, but sheep are able to socialise and form strong bonds, while lambs have plenty of opportunity to run and play. Calling animal welfare in farming a “no brainer,” Cameron also acknowledges that it’s not just farmers who are invested in the care of their animals. Increasingly, consumers are giving more thought to where their food is coming from, and the process it takes to get to them.

The ever more popular farm-to-table thinking is part of what spurred the family behind Fernglen Farm to work with SPCA on becoming SPCA Certified. “If people can see that logo on a product, then that’s a guarantee those animals have been treated well, and they can buy that product feeling good about it. That’s a big part of what we’re trying to do – bridge that gap between urban and rural understanding; to connect with consumers and tell a story they can feel invested in.”

From the moment the Ravenwoods got involved in sheep milk production, it was an all-or-nothing approach for the farm, including becoming SPCA Certified. This meant that no family member didn’t get involved! “It’s definitely a full family affair,” Cameron says. “We have a small team, and do everything ourselves, from the bits out on the farm, to the bottling and branding.”

As luck would have it, between them, they have just about every skillset needed to launch and run a business like the one they’ve created together. “Dad keeps really busy with the on-farm stuff, and runs a lot of that side. Mum has an accounting background so looks after a lot of the business needs. My brother studied human nutrition, so he does most of the processing and the milk business side of it, whereas my sister has an agriculture science background, so she works predominantly in ensuring we grow the right pasture species to keep our ewes well fed all year and also in the factory. I’m a little bit of everything. I’ve got a really big passion for the on-farm work, but my background is studies in agri-business and food marketing. I guess I’m the in-between person.”

When it comes to running a family business, there are few so well set up for success. But everyone knows that a whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and it’s the shared sense of care and compassion for the animals behind the product that makes Fernglen Farm a recipe for success.

Since Fernglen Farm’s sheep milk launch in 2019, Cameron admits it has been a challenge to crack into the market. “We have so many sheep in New Zealand, but the concept of milking them still seems so bizarre to people, despite it being common through Europe and the Middle East.”

But Fernglen Farm sheep milk is establishing itself as a fast favourite with consumers. Cameron says once people give it a go, they are surprised by the creamy flavor and how enjoyable it is. It helps that alternatives to cow dairy are only on the up-and-up – one only needs to look at the supermarket selection of alternative milks to see how far New Zealand has come in a matter of a few short years. “Customers expect a lot more variety than they used to. Additionally, people are looking so much more at factors like carbon footprint, and a production process they can feel good about. That’s something we feel really proud of here, and why becoming SPCA Certified was so important.”

Since their launch, the Fernglen Farm family is seeing slow but steady growth. “The more people taste it, the more they get on board!” In a nation of flat white drinkers, it helps that sheep milk goes excellently in coffee, though breaking into the café scene is a hill they’re yet to climb.

With a milking flock of 1,200 ewes, and products currently stocked in over 80 stores in the North Island, Fernglen Farm’s sheep milk has proved it’s here to stay. Now, they’re looking to the future. Knowing the expense and difficulty of launching a product to market, the family is eager to grow the market so other farmers come on board as suppliers. “We’d love to do that,” Cameron says. “Help farmers increase profitability, and increase farming job opportunities so living in rural communities is more viable. We’d love to get into export one day too. To take our product to the world and showcase New Zealand, because we know we farm pretty well here, to a high standard. It’s something we’re proud to be a part of. That’s why we’re so glad to shout this out loud and clear with the SPCA Certified logo on our bottles,” Cameron adds.

The family is certainly taking clear, confident steps to inspire other farmers to consider becoming SPCA Certified too, demonstrating the benefits of ensuring the welfare of their animals. “Happy sheep, means happy farmers, and happy consumers. It’s a win-win-win.”