More than gut instinct

We have been managing our farm at Sutton Grange for over 17 years now. Before that we’d spent many years developing our apprenticeships with dairy goats, both in Australia and overseas. We are still learning. It’s very exciting to see things anew and to see new things, even after this stint. The recent visit fromContinue reading “More than gut instinct”

Have a happy, healthy festive season (with cheese on top)

Well 2015 has been another year of growth and change for Holy Goat. It’s been a year where the seasons have certainly teased and tried us, where we’ve all continued to learn and share skills and knowledge, both on the farm and in the cheese room, and where the goats have thrived – despite those seasons – to provide usContinue reading “Have a happy, healthy festive season (with cheese on top)”

Sunday arvo on the farm

It’s been a while since we posted a blog, but things have been busy on the farm. Sundays are no different. A typical Sunday at Holy Goat involves milking early morning and afternoon (just like every other day) cheesemaking (just like every other day) and the usual farm related chores (and farm related things/events/surprises that happen when youContinue reading “Sunday arvo on the farm”

Safe and Secure

“If it can move, it can carry diseases, pests and weeds.” * Last week we met with Tristan Jubb, a Bendigo based vet,  who also specialises in biosecurity issues, working in export marketing and with national livestock bodies. When you think of ‘biosecurity’ do you think of apples and New Zealand, or frozen berries andContinue reading “Safe and Secure”

Managing Mastitis

We get many queries from farmers and cheese-lovers alike about animal health. How do we manage specific issues? What are our treatments and protocols? How do organic farms differ from conventional ones? We will cover a few of  these questions through these blog posts and have created a page dedicated to animal health on our websiteContinue reading “Managing Mastitis”

La Luna, Holy Goat’s Holy Grail

Our La Luna is the best known and most rewarded and awarded of the Holy Goat cheeses.  And who better to rely on for its successful evolution than a nun? Mother Noella Marcellino is known in cheese making circles as ‘The Cheese Nun’. But this moniker suggests more divine intervention, than the scientific rigor andContinue reading “La Luna, Holy Goat’s Holy Grail”

Spring and Rejuvenation

La Primavera, Spring, and thoughts turn to rejuvenation, renewal and regrowth; to new life and productive times ahead. At Holy Goat, Spring starts in August as we welcome the new kids, but they’re not the only rejuvenation taking place on the farm: We’re enjoying new life and energy. Spring is … new kids on the block.Continue reading “Spring and Rejuvenation”

France, the Font of Holy Goat Cheese

France. Ten days. Sixty Cheeses. And that was just the Affinage Course. We’ve just had three weeks in France where we took part in a specialist cheese course at Mons – Fromager Affineur the Academie Opus Caseus course – to learn more about French cheese and the ripening and maturation of cheeses. Our small groupContinue reading “France, the Font of Holy Goat Cheese”

Healthy Soils, Healthy Goats

We had a visit from Peter Norwood the other week. Peter is a farm consultant from Maffra and a specialist in animal nutrition. Peter had been visiting central Victoria speaking to Landcare members and farmers about soil health and links with plant and animal/human health.  Peter advocates the Albrecht approach to soil health, which isContinue reading “Healthy Soils, Healthy Goats”

Life Force and Cheese

Traditionally made cheese is a living, fermented, food; full of living microbes that are dynamically interacting and evolving. It has a life force.   The milk comes from amazing dairy animals – goats, sheep, cows, buffalo and others. They have a life force. Our goats (and other dairy animals) produce all the ingredients we needContinue reading “Life Force and Cheese”