Meet our ZQ Growers: Annabel and Hamish Craw
- 46 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Station Name Ridgecliff
Wool type Strong
Standard ZQRX
Farm size 420 hectares
Flock size 1,500 merino
Location Chorlton, New Zealand
Ridgecliff is a sixth‑generation family property in Canterbury, New Zealand, where Annabel and Hamish Craw are carrying forward a legacy shaped by more than a century of care. The couple took ownership twelve years ago, stepping into a role that feels as much custodial as operational.
For the Craws, farming isn’t just about producing wool. It’s about doing right by the land, the animals, and the people connected to the property.
“Being regenerative means what we’re doing is not harmful, it means adding value back to the land and having a good environment for the animals and for the people.” - Annabel Craw, Ridgecliff
A regenerative mindset with a long view
Regeneration at Ridgecliff is not an initiative; it’s an ethic. The Craws make decisions that support the present while strengthening the system for the future.
“You’re thinking about the future as well as the current,” Hamish says, and that thinking shapes their grazing, genetics, animal care, and landscape decisions. Their goal is to build resilience.
A farm that can withstand challenges. A system that supports itself environmentally and operationally for generations to come.
Discovering biodiversity and leaning into it
Around eight years ago, the Craws learned that Ridgecliff held significant biodiversity. What could have been a complication became a catalyst.
“It gave us an opportunity to sit back and reflect,” Annabel explains. “Did we want to protect it? And did we want to allow it to grow?”
They chose both, protection and expansion.
A comprehensive biodiversity plan was created, identifying:
Areas to protect
Areas to regenerate
How farming practices needed to adapt to support biodiversity
The plan has become a practical roadmap for how Ridgecliff operates today.
Letting nature respond
The Craws have seen the impact of their commitment firsthand.
“It’s amazing to see what happens when you take those actions,” Annabel says. “We’re actually growing our own forests again.”
Nature is responding, quickly and visibly. Ridgecliff is becoming richer, more diverse, and more resilient as new plantings take hold and native species return.
“Nature did it first, now it’s up to us to have a go at doing it again.” - Annabel Craw, Ridgecliff
A legacy strengthened, not just preserved
What’s happening at Ridgecliff reflects the heart of the ZQ grower community:
Care for the land and respect for animals.
The Craw family are building on six generations of knowledge while preparing the property for the generations still to come. Their work is shaping not just high‑quality wool, but a landscape that thrives.