8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Kaiora Downs: Jane and Mark Schwass Wool yoga mats add value to fibre Jane Schwass on the woollen yoga mat (top). Jane and husband Mark run Kaiora Downs, a sheep, beef and dairy grazing operation near Culverden (left). The 100% wool Kaiora Downs yoga mats are 18mm thick and weigh 1.4kg (right). Sue Russell It’s most often the sign of a successful farming business that an eye toward creating new opportunities and adding value to the existing enterprise is something not far from the owners’ minds. Such is the case with Jane and Mark Schwass, owners of Kaiora Down Farm near Culverden, North Canterbury. The couple purchased the 956-hectare in the Hurunui foothills in 2000, growing it with the purchase of the next door farm and today, have a farming business that extends over 1,350-hectare. Sheep and beef cattle breeding and dairy grazing are the main income bearing activities the land is put to use for, however, with a view to find a solution to a sad problem facing many sheep farmers, that of very poor wool-clip prices, the couple have created a whole new business, within a business ‘Kaiora Downs Mats’. “It really was borne out of a very sad situation in terms of what we were receiving for our wool and we felt we had to do something to improve this, so we started to think about uses for the wool and decided to investigate creating pure-wool, felted mats suitable for practicing yoga on,” says Jane. And, as if it was meant to be, son, Jono knew of someone in Christchurch who was a skilled felter and the connection was made. Proud to support Kaiora Downs Amuri Transport (1989) Ltd Livestock • Bulk Grain • Shingle • Coal • Fertiliser • Daily Freight Service 56 St Leonards Rd,Culverden Ph: 03 315 3033 – E: admin@amuritransport.co.nz Livestock - stock@amuritransport.co.nz Fertiliser - fert@amuritransport.co.nz Freight - freight@amuritransport.co.nz Kaiora Downs.
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