Reflecting on the devastation we witnessed across so much of our beautiful country last year, we must all ensure we support the planet-preserving behaviour we believe in – wherever we encounter it. And so, we have resolved that in 2020 we will better support small local ethical producers who put love into their work of crafting unique products and who care for the environment. As organic certification may not be plausible for some of these producers due to the small scale of their production or the maturity of their operations, we commit to conducting a peer review of their practices before putting their products on our shelves. We will also ensure that their practices are transparent enough that they welcome customers to visit.
Last Wednesday, our Farm Enterprise Manager, Borja went to visit Jannei Goat Dairy in Lidsdale. Jannei is a family owned and run artisan fromagerie, specialising in fresh and semi-hard style Australian goat’s cheese. They also sell amazing licenced raw milk and natural yoghurt. Goat milk is the only raw milk that may legally be sold for human consumption in Australia.
Borja was delighted to see incredibly healthy and happy goats at Jannei. Everything was so green and there was a lot of space for the goats. Janet is happy to receive visitors, and show them all around the operation. The lovely Janet and Neil have been farming sustainably for 25 years. Their paddocks are treated with organic fertilisers and the animals are well fed. Sick animals are treated away from the main herd, without the use of antibiotics or medicines.
It is important that we understand that small operations like Jannei’s run on love, rather than relying on scale or volume for their success. Their pricing model relies on taking their products directly to market themselves. Bringing their products onto our Farm Shop shelves will therefor not be possible at supermarket prices. But these are of course not mass market products. We will ensure that we offer the best value we can on truly exceptional artisan goat cheese, yoghurt and milk. Why not place an order now with our friendly Farm Shop staff?
