Milk delivered by horse and cart

As a young guy, Paul Duffy, Fonterra farmer and Southland District Councillor worked at Seaward Downs, a neighbouring cheese factory before it merged with Edendale. “One of my first memories of Edendale was seeing a farmer who lived on the fringe of Edendale dairy factory dropping off milk to site using a horse and cart,” says Paul.

“In the late 1960’s, we shut down production at Seaward Downs for the day and redirected all of our milk over to Edendale to go over and work there.”

“28 employees were working at the factory that day, at the time Edendale was a big employer in the local town. It’s a real success for it to still be a big employer, with now over 670 people involved in the site from transport to processing.

“On top of that, flow on industries and businesses have built up around it - like contractors and trucking companies – and there is no doubt, it has made a difference to the local economy right across Southland.” “Everyone knows someone who works at the site, it’s a piece of history for the Edendale community. At the South East corner of the cheese plant, there’s still a window with a piece from the old factory built in 1936,” says Paul.