Your hosts at Foxdown Farm are Andy and Kath Fox.
The Foxes are the fifth generation fortunate enough to farm Foxdown, which was established in 1877 when it was carved off from Glenmark Estate. It's a 1400 ha sheep and beef farm.
The Fox family has a strong heritage and the property itself is steeped in history - the sheep are still run through yards built from stone by Andy’s great grandfather more than a century ago. Andy also loves collecting artefacts (including his uniquely rural collection of different types of barbed wire!) as well as a number of classic cars.
The Fox clan are proud to be farmers and proud of their stewardship of the land. Andy and Kath see it as their duty to leave the land in a better state than when they took it over – a tradition that has been carried on for generations and with Andy’s grown-up sons George, James and Tim all pursuing agricultural careers it is a tradition that looks set to carry on well into the future. They hope that this tradition will be evident to you as you explore the farm.
They recognise that they are privileged to have the opportunity to live and work in such a beautiful place and Foxdown Hut is seen by the family as a great opportunity to welcome visitors from town and overseas who perhaps haven’t had the chance to visit a working farm.
Kath has a side hustle as a lawyer in Christchurch and Andy has for many years been involved in various off-farm activities holding a number of agricultural-related directorships. They are both looking forward to branching into something different with the opening of Foxdown Hut – which they hope will become a new tradition for Foxdown.
