In the early 2000s, Cressida Cains and her husband Michael were working in the wine industry and living in the Sydney inner-west suburb of Leichhardt. By 2010, they'd established a dairy business with a difference.
In the early 2000s, Cressida Cains and her husband Michael were working in the wine industry and living in the Sydney inner-west suburb of Leichhardt. They were surrounded by older Italian neighbours who were all growing their own food in backyard gardens and it was only natural that they would follow suit with their own veggies and chooks.
When their first child was born, they relocated to nearby Picton, expanding their urban garden to a market garden. The livestock expansion also continued from chooks to cows and goats until they outgrew even the Picton property and finally settled on a farm in the Southern Highlands where they welcomed East Fresian sheep to their operations.
They started with a flock of 30 East Fresians. Cressida milked the sheep and ran the dairy farm, while Michael continued to commute back and forth to Sydney. The couple dedicated themselves to research and development, trying to find the delicate balance between science and art that would allow them to produce a sheep’s milk cheese that embodied the small parcel of paradise they had decided to call home.
In 2010, one of their first cheeses won a gold medal at the Sydney Royal Show. The recognition proved to the young cheesemakers that they were on the right path and they co-founded Pecora Dairy a year later.
The Cains’ dedication to research, testing and innovation persisted in the face of challenges including the illegality of raw cheese. In 2016, in collaboration with the New South Wales Food Authority, the couple were able to prove the safety of raw milk cheese and Pecora became the first licensed producer of raw milk cheese in Australia.
Over the past 15 years Cressida has not only advocated for Pecora Dairy but for the dairy industry as a whole. In 2020, Cressida’s work to promote a profitable and secure future for Australia’s small dairy farmers was recognised by the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Awards where she was named NSW/ACT state winner and National runner-up.
With the $15,000 Westpac grant from the awards, Cressida developed Dairy Cocoon, an online platform where small dairy farmers to build industry connections and access tools, information and support to develop and produce their own branded dairy products.
To this day, Cressida is an active member of the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award alumni community and advocates for women in small business and agriculture through her role as NSW/ ACT Alumni State Chair.
She also continues to make very excellent cheese with her husband, Michael. In early 2024, their work on raw cheese products culminated in the Pecora Dairy Yarrawa – a semi-hard, raw sheep milk cheese – taking out the President’s Medal at the Sydney Royal Show from a field of more than 4000 products.
About the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award
For 23 years, the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award has celebrated the innovation and leadership of women in rural industries, businesses and communities. State Award winners receive a $15,000 Westpac grant to develop their project, business or program and gain access to the alumni program and community.
Women with a project, business or program having a positive impact on rural and emerging industries, businesses and communities are encouraged to apply. Applications for the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award are open now until 9 October. Read more.
