Retiring as South Wairarapa mayor will not mean Adrienne Staples will be loafing about with too much time on her hands, just the opposite in fact.
Mrs Staples and husband Don are awaiting consents for a milking shed to cater for the task of milking between 100 and 150 east friesian ewes.
The decision to go into sheep milk production on their Western Lake Road property has not been taken lightly and will mean less emphasis on raising cattle.
The one constant is the retention of Mrs Staples' horses, the retiring mayor being an avid horse rider.
Mrs Staples said the east friesian ewes -- the breed originated in northern Germany -- give milk which is in demand in many parts of the world.
It also has the advantage of being able to be frozen without losing its molecular structure.
The couple expect to begin producing sheep milk on the property in October, a month that coincides with the Local Body elections.
Sheep milk is particularly popular in Asian countries as surveys have revealed up to 50 per cent of Asians are intolerant to cows milk.