Goats at Home Farm - Canterbury, New Zealand

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Goats at Home Farm - Canterbury, New Zealand

Arapawa Island & Betty Rowe

In March 2008 I met Betty Rowe on Arapawa Island. I had recently fallen in love with the goats having met them first at Michael Trotter and then Andrea Gauland properties. This was after my friend Jane Buxton wrote an article for Growing Today. I was due to go meet Betty in April on the Mail Boat but had this strong desire to get there sooner and we did. It was one of those amazingly clear Marlborough Sounds days and we were escorted by a pod of over 40 dolphins to the jetty and there Betty was in her pink jumper and blue gumboots just the way I had imagined her.

We sat on the verandah and talked goats till Blair fell asleep in the sun and the herd started coming into the sheds for the night. It was to be the first and last time I got to meet Betty in person, sadly she passed away in May 2008 but the impression she left will last me a life time.

There is so much history that comes with these goats, both personally and politically but if you are seriously interested then you need to first read the book “Once upon an Island” by Betty Rowe. Also check out the Rare Breeds and International Arapawa Goat Association websites.

Our Goats

Evidentially these goats were dropped on Arapawa Island by Captain Cook in 1777 but more recently I found them on the hills in Lyttleton at David & Patsy Hughes.

We started with a small herd of 3 girls from them called No1, Patsy and Nibbles plus a stunning stud male called Hughie. They may be small in stature but come packed with very large personalities and now we have a lovely herd of 11 with the arrival of three sets of twins this year.

In 2009 w were honored to have young Apollo arrive direct from Arapawa Island, delivered personally by Betty’s daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter Debbie, Shannon & Giovanni. From day one he thought he was something special and decided my husband was going to tow the line which was made even funnier by the fact Apollo was only 7 months old at this stage and Blair did make a run for it whenever challenged by him!

I have been amazed at who has been supporting the fight for these wonderful creatures with emails from around the world continually flowing in from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage to our very own Bob Kerridge of the SPCA. It shows that even though Betty may not be here in person the fight still goes on, on her behalf.

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