Jaz Mathisen

Jaz Mathisen is the station cook for Awakino station, a historical homestead in North Otago's Kurow. Jaz is the mother of three young daughters and the partner to Dan Devine, who is the third generation of his family to run the Awakino farm (fun fact: Dan is the farmer that discovered Shrek the sheep all those years ago!). Jaz has built up a strong social media presence with her recipes and homesteading tips, designed for busy people and young mums. She's a big believer in seasonal growing, cooking and eating - the book has plenty of practical tips for each of these topics.


Chloee Lodge is the photographer, who is based in the UK but was settled in Kurow for a few years with her young children - living next door to Jaz meant that the two were able to capture a full year at Awakino, allowing the book to be split into seasons and every type of weather to be captured on the historic homestead.