Meet Kat Jenkins
Kaeo, Far North/Te Hiku, Aotearoa-New Zealand
In September 2019, I realised the long-held ambition to own a lifestyle block.
I moved into an onsite cabin with my partner Richard, our 3 rescued wild cats, and a small flock of chickens.
This website is a diary of our adventures over that time. What I'm growing, the things I'm learning, the ups and the downs.
Meet the family
Richard
Kat and Richard met like any modern couple, on Tinder in 2016. After a year of long-distance romance, we moved into our first shared home in Waipu in 2017.
Richard is a small-motor mechanic, working in a local shop in Waipapa. He's in charge of all the machines—helpful on a lifestyle block! Having him around means things get done a little quicker.
His special talent is his ease with all animals. Kat calls him Doctor Doolittle, and it's one of the reasons she fell for him.
Patu, Sabre, and Samurai
Our formerly-wild cats were all adopted off the farm we lived on in Waipu. They are all named after hand weapons.
Sam was found under a beat-up car, becoming the first fur-baby of the household. Sabre-kitty was discovered at death's door under a neighbouring house. And Patu just moved himself in one day because he liked the biscuits.
Sabre has the softest fur, while Patu gives loving hugs at bedtime. Lately Samurai has been contributing to our pest control efforts by bringing home decapitated rabbits.
They are the inspiration behind Kat's Nip, the premium catnip product Kat grows in her garden and produces biodegradable catnip toys from.
Roxy and Hine
Roxy was born on the farm next door, arriving at The Outpost in October 2020 at 6 weeks old. She's a bit of a mutt and her existence was a mistake, but we feel like she was born just for us.
Hine is the dog that really did go off to live her life on a farm in the country. After the sudden death of her human in early 2021, we offered to give her a home and she's been here ever since.
Roxy loves hunting, while Hine is afraid of loud bangs. They are both very fond of chasing balls and chewing bones. They are the best of friends.
The chooks and cows
We currently have 5 Hyline chickens, plus Pam and Tommy.
Every couple of years we add a few chickens as the older ones reach the ends of their lives. We swap our excess eggs with a neighbour for sour dough bread.
The current flock are absolutely feral. They don't care about fences and we're always playing find-the-eggs. It has meant a lot of adaptation in the garden, but we love chickens.
We’re onto our fourth herd of cows now. These are Hereford-X heifers who arrived with us in September 2024 and are due to be replaced soon.
The slightly-awkward truth is they are a good income source, and having them around allows us to spend less time at our off-farm jobs. We try to give them a happy and peaceful life while they're here.
They're glorified lawnmowers. If it's allowed to grow, long grass can create problems with fencing, ticks, and walking from place to place becomes a challenge too!
While we technically have enough land for a much larger herd, it's steep, prone to erosion and pugging.
I don’t honestly believe cattle should be on the land at all, but I think we’ve found a balance that works for us.
Kat's background
Kat holds qualifications in Organic Horticulture, Horticulture, NZ Native Plants, Lifestyle Farming, and Landscape Design. She works part-time as a professional gardener, and in 2026 is working on a qualification in Small Business.
With over 20 years of blogging behind her, the Kat's Garden blog started two months after moving onto The Outpost. New updates are published most Sundays.
If you've found this website because we might be related, drop me a line via the contact form below. I'd love to hear from you.
Work with Kat
I'm open to writing reviews, collaborations, and content sponsorship with businesses and creators in the gardening, small farming, permaculture, and rural lifestyle spaces.
If you think you've got an idea that fits the bill, check the Work With Kat page for more information.