Life on a Farm in New Zealand

We are broken up into four groups every day; Daily Chores, Kitchen Crew, Gardening Crew and Farming Crew.

The Daily group is the only group who’s job is the same everyday; milking the cows! Your day begins at 6 am when you walk to the milking house and milk 55 cows whose milk is used to feed the baby calves. Then its off to feed the chickens before breakfast. The after breakfast chores consist of feeding the pigs and calves, then cleaning up around the farm. Then after lunch is the second milking of the day and the second feeding of all the calves.

Kitchen crew has the responsibility of cooking for all 19 of us! Their day begins at 7 when they wake up and make outmeal and get out the breakfast cereal for everyone. Then they have the rest of the day to prepare lunch and dinner. The food has been absolutely delicious. We’ve had everything from minestrone soup, to mac and cheese, burgers, fritata, and risoto.

Garden Crew spends the day outside doing everything from mowing lawns to weed whacking to thistle grubbing. We’ve also spent a day helping out at the local school by tending to their garden.

General Chores changes everyday. It usually consisits of any miscelaneous chores to do around the farm. We’ve built pig pens, fed cows, cleaned out troffs and gathered and chopped wood.

Working on Sentry Hill farm has been an incredible experience!