All it took was a simple dandelion wish and a lot of hard work…
Sean, Genevieve and wee Eddie Bennetts live at Dandelion Hill in Central Hawke’s Bay in a 100-year-old relocated bungalow. They farm East Friesian Texel cross milking sheep. They recently inseminated some hoggets with imported Lacaune semen from Italy to breed both high-yield milking ewes and lambs that taste good on the BBQ.
Genevieve grew up on a sheep farm in the Wairarapa which has been in the family since 1919. She’s the 4th generation to farm sheep, although her great grandfather may have laughed at the idea of milking them! In 2010 she spent a fortnight as a woofer (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) on a sheep dairy near Florence and loved milking the sheep daily and making ricotta and pecorino. Dandelion Hill Farm has been her dream ever since. Sean, on the other hand, is a slightly more practical chap. Having farmed sheep, beef cows and bulls at Wallingford and then Tinui for the better part of 2 decades he was looking for a new challenge. An accounting degree later, he now consults for Ag First Hawke’s Bay, farms at Dandelion Hill and restores old bungalows for fun. Wee Eddie likes sheep milk on his baby porridge and taking his morning nap to the gentle sounds of sheep bleating and the milking machine pulsing.
They started with a small block with a small flock of very spoilt sheep including Gertrude, Petunia and Merigold, and Max, a cheeky wire haired terrier who half-heartedly chases rabbits and possums. Plans include a carbon-positive farm, and guest accommodation for family, friends and guests so that others can share their love of the land. Their mantra is to connect families, food and the land.
Their favourite cheese is their Hatuma Halloumi which they love to eat grilled on a roast vege salad with a glass of Hawke’s Bay wine in the sunshine. Dandelion Hill Farm turns milk into magic, celebrating beautiful boutique sheep milk products.
We hope that one day soon Dandelion Hill will make cheese and join The Cheese Wheel community of local cheese makers.
