Beauty in the Beasts

WITH VEGETABLES AND FLOWERS, A FARMERS’ MARKET AND NOW THEIR OWN BUFFALO HERD, A CLEVEDON COUPLE IS WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE THEIR RURAL IDYLL.

Words Lyn Barnes  Photographs Aaron McLean

Richard Dorresteyns and his children,
Hugo (7) and Saskia (4)

THE DREAM FOR THE Dorresteyns is similar to that of many people – to revolve their working lives around home and family. For most it’s unrealistic, for others it means subsistence living. However, Helen and Richard Dorresteyn are lateral thinkers, they work damned hard and are determined to make it worthwhile. The entrepreneurial couple is slowly transforming their 14-hectare block, complete with dense native forest, into productive land, growing heritage tomatoes and flowers to sell at the local farmers’ market. They live near Clevedon, south-east of Auckland, where Helen founded the farmers’ market in 2005.

Unlike most farmers’ markets that are community owned, the Clevedon Village Farmers Market at the A&P saleyards and exhibition hall was bravely set up by Helen as a private enterprise. Two years on it’s positively buzzing, attracting locals and tourists every Sunday morning. The colourful stalls overflow from the hall, selling everything from fresh locally grown fruit and vegetables to pony rides. Helen is planning to expand on that urban/rural concept as she sees more opportunities to promote country life to city dwellers. Now spending more than 40 hours a week on market business, she hopes to appoint a manager to free up her time for other endeavours. Already she’s earning enough to pay three local mums to help out with writing newsletters, designing the website and keeping the market’s books.

Richard and Helen intend to put a track through their bush and create an in situ outdoor gallery where artworks will be displayed. Helen, who has a fine arts degree, is mad about art. She taught photography before having children but these days her talents are being channelled into other areas, including designing a logo for their latest venture – buffalo farming.

It wasn’t reindeer visiting last Christmas Eve but 18 buffaloes that arrived at Auckland Airport at 2am – “17 new girls and one new bull,” says Helen excitedly. They hope to be selling fresh buffalo mozzarella at the market within weeks. The buffalo business is a joint venture with Helen’s sister and brother-in-law and friends who have a large farm near Clevedon. They’ve done their research and last year imported 18 Riverine-cross buffaloes from Australia. The animals were originally from the United States where they were crossed with Italian bulls. Unlike buffaloes that live in Europe, where they are grain-fed and kept indoors, these beasts roam free on the lush undulating pastures with plenty of mud to wallow in. The owners are hoping their grass intake may increase milk production.

Last October Helen and Richard took three weeks off from the market and headed to Italy to attend the Eighth World Buffalo Congress and for Richard to hone his cheesemaking skills. Buffalo milk contains twice the amount of milk solids and calcium found in cows’ milk. But milking buffaloes is different from milking cows. “It’s not just a case of slapping the milking cups on them,” explains Helen. “They need massaging all over, not just their teats. Their milk is higher up than in a cow. They are very maternal creatures so it’s worth having their calves close by when they’re milked. They’re more intelligent than cows and need to be settled. Also, they’re very curious animals – you must respect them. They don’t like strangers. Even though they are so strong they’re very gentle – you can call them by their names and they will come to you. I adore them – they have huge teeth, like flat piano keys.”

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