Going into the age-old craft of cheesemaking is not normally sparked by violent weather, but this was the case for a former rowing business owner on the New South Wales Mid North Coast.

This comes as agriculture struggles to neither keep or attract the younger generation to the primary sector.

For 33-year-old Hugh McLeod, having very little knowledge about making cheese did not deter him from going into a primary industry-related business.

Rowing was a passion and occupation for Hugh McLeod till a major storm changed his career direction. ( Supplied: Hugh McLeod )

"I knew that it involved milk and that's about it!" he said.

"Everything I know now I have learnt through Peter."

Peter Jeffery sold the Comboyne Culture cheese operation, located in Taree, to Mr McLeod.

He had employed the young rower initially until he got back on his feet following the storm.

Storm leaves rowing business in tatters

Mr McLeod had moved to Taree to operate a rowing business based in the Taree Rowing Clubhouse.

Prior to him moving north from Sydney he had built rowing sculls, coached, and worked on the administrative side of the sport.

However the move to Taree all came undone on March 9 when a storm ripped through the coastal town, blowing the club's roof off and causing massive damage to Mr McLeod's rowing business.

The storm lifted the roof off Taree Rowing Club, making it impossible to hold indoor rowing classes ( Supplied: Hugh McLeod )

It so happened one of his rowing pupils was Mr Jeffery's 20-year-old daughter.

Mr Jeffery offered his daughter's coach several days a week work.

"He [Mr Jeffery] had a double knee replacement and needed a bit more help and then asked me to do a bit more," Mr McLeod said.

"The storm brought me to a grinding halt and started to re-evaluate where I was."

A new direction

It was around this time that Mr Jeffery observed that his cheesemaking operation "needed to be taken to the next step".

Mr Jeffery had owned the business for five years coupled with an engineering career which had taken him around the world.

"It was time to head in a new direction," Mr Jeffery said.

Starting with milk and mixing it to make up to eight different cheese is very satisfying for Hugh McLeod. ( ABC Rural: Michael Cavanagh )

"There were other people interested in the business, but they hadn't shown the passion that Hugh had and that is important."

That was reflected in Mr McLeod's sheer enjoyment working with the dairy product.

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"Getting my hands into the lovely warm curd and turning it around and separating it — it is a glorious feeling," he said.

"The first time I did it, I thought it exciting and it is something I still love doing.

"Today we made eight different types of cheese and it all started from the one vat of milk.

"It was only a very small variation in the different cultures we put in that has made these different cheeses. That is the attraction."

Blessed are the cheesemakers

For a relatively young person, making such a diverse change from rowing to playing with curd has been made smoother by the work of his teacher and fellow cheesemaker.

"The network, and the people, and sourcing the fantastic product from a jersey herd — Peter made it easier for me to buy the business," Mr McLeod said.

While the rural sector is trying to stem the drain of people to the city, Mr McLeod believed his move into cheesemaking was timely.

"There is a lot of interest in anything that is a little boutique — a little bit individual," he said.

"Any sort of farmer's market, or similar set-up, there is interest.

"If it's cheese, biscuits, or something that is a different version to what you get in a supermarket, there is always that attraction."

Pursuing passion

For Mr Jeffery, while he will be keeping an eye over his protege spending time in the factory, he will have time to pursue another passion.

"I have a beautiful workshop full of cedar. I like working with wood and it has been milled and sitting round for between 25 and 30 years.

"In fact, some of the cedar was used to fit out the shop," he said.

While Mr Jeffery may hit the lathe after time with his pupil, Mr McLeod is not averse to taking his work home, such as a blue roquefort-style cheese that has the characteristics of a brie.