My girls were beyond excited to arrive at the Dun Eden Family Farm. As soon as we opened the gate, they were happily chasing chickens while we waited for the tour to begin. This gave me a chance to chat to Richard, one of the owners of the Dun Eden Family Farm, who enlightened me on some fun facts about the chickens and turkeys gathering around us.  It wasn’t until later, when I sat down to chat with Richard and his wife Clare, that I learned Richard knew very little about farm animals when they first bought the place. Everything he told us about the animals across the day was knowledge he’d gathered on a steep learning curve over the last year. You would never have known, Richard spoke with the confidence of a seasoned farmer and has a natural way with the animals he’s still learning so much about.

Richard has a background in managing properties. Clare has a farming background from growing up on a goat farm in Scotland. The opportunity to buy and manage a farm park property married their skill sets in the most magical way. I laughed as Clare and Richard told me about when they went to look at buying the property on a day so cold the mud froze.  “We still loved it” they told me.  It was an opportunity that allowed Clare to be at home with their 2-year-old daughter, Isobel (who Richard introduced to us as their stock manager), while also moving them towards their goal of running a self-sustainable hobby farm. 

They both saw the potential in the property and have already made many improvements.  I loved the mural they've painted in the kids party room.  Such a neat spot for a birthday party and with all the animals there, the kids are in heaven. The rabbits have been treated to upgraded digs with fresh grass laid. One of my favourite stops on the tour was along the bush walk where Richard told us about the restorative work that had been done to the area in the past.  As the Tuis called above us, you'd never believe you were just 10 minutes from the Octagon.
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​The tour was much more than just seeing and feeding animals.  Richard asked the children questions and answered their questions in return.  “I don’t like to say – I don’t know. If someone asks me a question that I don’t know the answer to, I’ll go and look it up”. He also did a great job of making sure the children and adults interacted safely with the animals. “I like to make a big deal about safety and minimising stress on the animals. We know that kids are naturally excited, noisy and risk takers, so we try to manage that”.  The result is a tour that shows respect for the animals while also offering an interactive experience for their visitors.

“Oh I love it when there’s kids who have never held or touched an animal before” Clare shared with me. “It’s surprising just how many have never held a rabbit or even had a cat”. Living on the farm provides learning experiences for their daughter Isobel too who sometimes joins the tours.  It truly is a family business in its most literal sense. The couple joked with me about how they best juggle the business, family life and marriage. “Perseverance” Richard said, “I try to stay positive”. “Cups of tea” Clare laughed which is obviously the secret to any marriage.
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If you were thinking about going to visit the Dun Eden Family Farm and its new owners, I can’t recommend it enough. You’ll find it a relaxed, educational and fun trip that will have you coming back for more animal cuteness. I know we’ll be back, thanks for having us Richard and Clare.

For part two of my ‘Women Living With Passion’ series I was lucky enough to attend the More FM Child and Baby Show and interview local Dunedin ladies doing what they love and showcasing their talents.  Any event that brings together and celebrates women and mothers doing something they love is my kind of heaven.  Every lady I spoke to was extremely passionate about the venture she was a part of. I scooped up their experiences, wisdom and advice and melded it together here for you all to enjoy.

I just love listening to ladies talk about their network marketing teams. It seems to be a way of working together that appeals to women and particularly mums.  Motherhood can, for some, be an isolating and frugal time.  Network marketing teams provide support, income, training and flexibility.  It’s not a pyramid scheme but rather a mutually beneficial web of women working together.  Any woman I’ve spoken to about their network marketing experience has literally glowed as they’ve told me about the brand they work with. 
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​My last chat of the day was with Karen, Donna and Mark at the Doodle Bug stand. The idea to do creative and custom height charts came to Karen when she was printing her son’s artwork on their wide set printer which they have for their printing business. The ability to print long designs opened the door for height charts which the team personalise for their clients. Karen shared, “It allows me to have some fun and be creative”. The team get great feedback from clients who love the personalised nature of the product which makes a great, inexpensive gift that can be taken from home to home. Mark chatted to me about the great team dynamic they have. Being parents of the same age bracket, they can relate to each other’s experiences and support each other. The team and their children feature in the brochure they had on their stand making the business truly a family affair. They support the Child Cancer Foundation with 5% of all height chart purchases being donated PLUS they can help you with your own fundraising through selling their awesome height charts. So many reasons to call and get to know this great team. 

​I had such a great time chatting to the people behind these businesses, I only wish I could have interviewed everyone!  I’m looking forward to the next More FM Child and Baby Show so that I can get another dose of inspiration and passion.