Nothing Scrappy about these Remnants (apart from the Phascogale nest)

remnant noun 1 they cleared up the remnants of the picnic: remains, remainder, leftovers, leavings, residue, rest; stub, butt, end, tail end; dregs, lees; technical residuum. 2 remnants of cloth: scrap, piece, bit, fragment, shred, offcut, oddment. We try to create an environment on our farm where everyone and everything thrives – people, goats, floraContinue reading “Nothing Scrappy about these Remnants (apart from the Phascogale nest)”

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”

Feeding the Foragers

  We’re well into autumn now but still no sign of a real break yet. We need good rain so our perennial pastures will provide fresh pick into winter, especially for the pregnant does. We also need rain so the pasture cropping seeds will germinate and grow, giving us extra spring feed. Not to mentionContinue reading “Feeding the Foragers”

Ivan Larcher visits Holy Goat

We were inspired and challenged when internationally renowned French cheesemaker and consultant Ivan Larcher visited Holy Goat in March. Over two days action packed days, Ivan worked with us to refine and develop our cheese making skills. Ivan shared his vast knowledge including animal nutrition, milk quality testing and cheese recipe creation. He was professional, charming and generous.