Rosie Cartright (front, centre), is an essential part of the magic that keeps Taranaki farming family the Cartwrights going, with an eye to the future, they say.
Photo: Shepherdess Magazine/ Michelle Porter
Rosie Cartwright is no stranger to hard work. The mother of four and grandmother of seven – soon to be eight – is up at the crack of dawn each day to milk a 500-strong herd of Jersey cows alongside Robert, her husband of forty years. She reflects on what it takes to build a farming legacy while living and working side by side with family. She spoke to Jacqueline Forster, with photographs by Michelle Porter of Shepherdess magazine.
Rosie and Robert, both 65, farm some 200 hectares at Kaimata, just outside Kōhanga Moa – Inglewood in Taranaki, on a property that has been in Robert’s family for generations. This recurring theme of generational legacy is something Rosie has been careful to cultivate in her years on the land, and one she attributes to being brought up in a large family with a strong work ethic.
“I was brought up in town, in Whanganui, as one of nine children, so it was survival of the fittest,” she jokes.
“Growing up in a large family you learn to share and to care about other people. Mum and Dad worked very hard to keep us all going, so I guess you could say I come from a hardworking background.”
After leaving school, Rosie trained as a registered nurse and moved to Ngāmotu – New Plymouth. It was there that she met her future husband, Robert, on a blind date organised by a close mutual friend.
“Robert and I got married in 1985 and I continued nursing for quite some time, even after the children were born, but as the business grew so did the
workload.
Rosie likes that the Jersey cows are docile and make less impact on the hills than heavier breeds. “Winter used to be a quiet time on the farm and, although we’re not milking, we’re still busy making sure all the animals are fed.”
Photo: Shepherdess Magazine/ Michelle Porter
When juggling farm life and nursing became untenable, Rosie decided to dedicate her time to the family and the farm. The Cartwrights have a long history of farming in the district.
“We’re the fourth generation here and our children are the fifth,” Rosie explains. Their property in the rolling Kaimata hills is not your traditional flat dairy farming land, she says, and was originally a sheep farm.
Robert’s family converted to dairy farming in the mid-1970s and took to breeding award-winning Jersey cows.
“Robert manages the genetic side of things; he’s always had a real passion for cows, and I just love them too,” says Rosie.
“Over the years we’ve named quite a few, and we all have our favourites. They have a quiet gentle temperament, and they’ve even become used to the grandchildren being about.”
Rosie with some of her grandchildren. Carter, 10, Hudson, 8, Arjay, 5, Payten, 4, Flynn, 3, Hunter, 2, and Henry, 1, enjoy playing together at their grandparents’ house, which is a focal point for family gatherings. “It wasn’t hard to wrangle them all together for a photo – I just offered them lunch.”
Photo: Shepherdess Magazine/ Michelle Porter
Friendly cows also make for better herd management, she says, describing their routine as they walk into the cow shed: “The same cows come on early every time, so you know there’s something not quite right if all of a sudden one’s at the back of the herd. There’s a hierarchy amongst them too – you have your bosses, that’s for sure.”
Bossy cows aside, routine on the farm is marked by twice-daily milkings from spring through to autumn, whatever the weather.
Like most farmers, a normal day starts early.
“I usually make a cup of tea for Robert because he gets the cows in and then I meet him at the cups around 5:30. After milking, we do a run-off, and recently – because it was so dry – we were feeding out, which is quite a big job. My son, Thomas, works with us and we all try to get a bit of a plan together before we leave the shed, so we know what everyone’s up to, then we just go about our day until the next milking at around three in the afternoon.
While stock work, bookkeeping, and general maintenance are daily activities, the coming and going of seasons brings new chores. Come spring, it is all hands on deck for calving. But luckily help isn’t too far away. Their children, Rebecca, 37, Fraser, 35, Thomas, 33, and Myles, 31, all live close by, where they continue the family farming tradition.
Rebecca’s definitely the boss of the family, according to Rosie, and she needs to be, with three brothers.
“Rebecca and her partner, Craig, are dairy farmers. Fraser and Ang are 50/50 sharemilking just five minutes from Rosie and Robert.
“Thomas and Claire work on the home farm, while Myles and Vanessa farm sheep and beef at Arakamu – Eltham, around 45 minutes down the road.”
Creating a close-knit family is all down to Rosie, according to Thomas.
“Mum is the glue that holds the family together,” he says.
“She’s always there to help, no matter what the job – on the farm, with the grandkids or when someone is hurt or sick. I believe Mum is the hardest
worker in the family, especially during spring when she has 300 calves to rear and still makes time to cook us all a roast dinner.”
Rebecca couldn’t agree more.
“We all think of Mum as hardworking, loyal, supportive, generous and kind. Family life growing up was very busy. Mum was heavily involved in farm life, but she also found time to support us at school and transport us to various netball, basketball and rugby games.
“Everyone helped out on the farm, and it was a great way for us as children to see our parents at work and build great relationships with them and our grandparents, too.”
Photo: Shepherdess Magazine/ Michelle Porter
The nature of farm work means there is not a lot of down time or holidays off farm, but family get-togethers make up for that.
“We try to get together as often as we can, mostly on a Friday night to have tea,” says Rosie. And while Rosie enjoys cooking, she is equally happy when Robert mans the pizza oven.
The original farmhouse has seen a few renovations, but has stood the test of time with over a hundred years of family meals, farm chatter and succession planning taking place around the dining table. These days it is quite a gathering. But farm kids also know how to pitch in.
“Rebecca’s three are the oldest and they have all been brought up helping out on the farm,” says Rosie.
“I’m a great believer that they should follow their dreams, whatever they may be, but it is lovely to see generations continuing on the land, especially with so many young people drawn to the city. Luckily, my boys never liked town much. You could say they’re town-averse,” she laughs.
Photo: Shepherdess Magazine/ Michelle Porter
What little downtime Rosie has is spent reading and gardening.
“I’m not much of a napper,” she admits,” more of an active relaxer, but I do love to read. And although I haven’t had much time for the garden this year, I do enjoy it. I’ve got a veggie patch with lettuces and tomatoes and the grandkids like to help when they visit.”
Watching the next generation coming through is what motivates Rosie.
“I love the land, I love the cows, and it’s just so rewarding to see the grandkids take an interest in the farm now that I’m a bit older.
“I remember when my children were young, how excited they were when there were new calves, and now I see the grandkids doing the same thing.”
This story appears in the Takurua Winter Edition 2025 of Shepherdess magazine.
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