Mrs Harris and her husband Chris manage a sheep and beef property at Hindon, near Outram. Mr Harris is from Whanganui and Mrs Harris grew up in Balclutha.
"We have moved around a few times as Chris has moved up the ranks while I worked as an early childhood teacher. I knew when I started our family I wanted to be a stay-at-home mum which meant he really had to up his game and find a management position," she said, laughing.
Moving to Hindon during lockdown in 2020, the couple have found their feet and enjoy the supportive rural community they have found in Hindon. They now have three children: Florence, 7, Quinn, 4, and Tommy, 16 months.
She was inspired to start a collection of nutrient-dense baking mixes targeted at busy parents and lactating mothers after she had Florence.
"I really struggled with milk supply. I spent 16 weeks trying to increase my supply and battled through triple feeding this little baby. In hindsight it wasn’t the right thing to do. It left me exhausted and robbed me of those precious newborn moments.
"That experience stayed with me, and I knew I wanted to help other mums who were facing similar challenges," she said.
Baking has always been something she has enjoyed and through her own desire to eat foods that would give her sustenance and energy for producing milk "and just living this busy life as a rural mum", she came up with her own recipes that were nutrient-dense and kept her feeling full for longer.
"I was very guilty for getting to two or three o’clock in the afternoon and realising I had hardly eaten, but by that time of day you’re absolutely starving and reach for all the junk. So, the baking mixes, while they still taste good, are full of all the good things loaded with protein, fibre and healthy fats."
Seeing a potential gap in the market for products of this kind, she scaled her business idea up and now sells the mixesonline.
"The next stage is to have the products stocked with some retailers who align with my own brand," she said.
The mixes are made in large batches by Mrs Harris from her farm kitchen which needed to be audited and verified by the Dunedin City Council.
Mrs Harris engaged the mentorship of Balclutha-born, Auckland-based branding strategist Lauryce Moore, who has navigated Mrs Harris through the process of branding, packaging and online marketing.
"I didn’t want this to be just a little hobby business. I wanted to do it well and do it properly, but if I had known just how much was involved, I may not have started the journey, but I am so glad I have," she said.
"There are some awesome opportunities that are presenting themselves and I have discovered there is a really supportive business community out there."
The baking mixes are only part of what Mrs Harris is offering.
She is also working on growing a supportive online community called The Mamahood Collective where mums can share the ups and downs of the ever-changing journey of motherhood.
"A nice realisation in all of this is how much my own confidence has grown.
"I used to be a bit of a town girl but I have grown into quite a homebody — I am much more content out here on the farm since I have started doing something for myself," she said.
