Originally a city girl from Bristol in the UK, Claire Wells from @a_complete_cow_ now lives and farms at East Taratahi in Carterton, on a 20hectare block subdivided from her husband’s family farm 12 years ago. Claire’s cows graze on amazing multi-cropped paddocks, which are regeneratively farmed and entirely free of harsh chemicals.
An animal rights activist from an early age, Claire is all about small, slow and carefully considered farming. The cows are, in Claire’s words, a bit of a motley crew - mostly bobby calves, originally destined for the works at only a few days old. Claire raises all of her cows with utmost love and respect for a minimum of 3-4 years, which is about twice as long as the industry standard for beef farming.
Future plans for A Complete Cow include building a micro abattoir on site, to reduce stress for the animals at the end of their lives and further allowing the entire animal to be utilised, including the hides for leather. Claire is working hard toward being certified carbon neutral - hopefully even carbon positive - so that alongside raising cows, she is also adding to the environment rather than taking from it.
As well as meat, A Complete Cow offers jars of beef tallow and gorgeous tallow based soaps, which come in four varieties and are very popular, particularly for use helping to relieve skin conditions, such as eczema. These products are all available through Little Farms and Claire also has some more exciting cosmetic products in the
