The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2013 - Issue 29 | Page 28

DAIRY

Delamere Dairy Goats’ Yogurt ‘a clear winner’
A Cheshire company which started with just three goats won Champion Yogurt title at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show.
Delamere Dairy’s natural goats’ yogurt fought off competition from a range of yogurts made using cows’ and goats’ milk. The judges praised the ‘well-made’ yogurt for ‘its velvety texture’ hailing it ‘a clear winner’. More than 800 dairy products entered the competition at the three day Harrogate event including cheeses, butters, milks and yogurts. Delamere’s Channel Island milk picked up a first prize and the company’s goats’ cheese log with herbs won second prize in its category. The company was also awarded the Prince of Wales award for outstanding quality in dairy products. Island cows’ milk, goats’ butter, goats’ yogurts and a wide range of goats’ cheese are available across the UK and internationally. The company has recently added soya products to its range. WELFARE A PRIORITY Welfare gets top priority at the Dairy, which operates a strict, independently monitored, Farm Assurance and Welfare Code. Most of the goats producing milk are white British Saanens, which is a really good milking breed. They’re also very good natured, inquisitive and playful! The milk is not classified as organic but all Delamere farms operate low input systems in terms of fertilisers. For example, all the goats’ manure is spread back on the land. “Of course, we’re still a relatively young industry so we’re perfectly placed to learn from mistakes made in other areas of livestock farming, then make sure we don’t repeat them,” says Roger. “For example, we don’t push the goats for every last drop of milk or place them in stressful environments, keeping veterinary problems to a minimum. “We are the first branded goats’ milk dairy to have all its British goat farms approved by Red Tractor. “Our goats enjoy all of life’s home comforts in airy, draft-free, barns with a deep bedding of straw and plenty of space for ‘getting away’ from the group - standards closely monitored by the Welfare Code. These groups are decided according to when the goats are going to kid. We don’t mix the groups either, simply because goats develop a strong social hierarchy. “Every goat is individually identified and a good herdsman knows them all, often by looking at their udder rather than their face! They are not commonly kept outdoors, simply because, unlike sheep, they don’t have the oil in their coats that protects them from the wind and rain. “The big softies like it indoors, although some farmers allow them to ‘summer’ outdoors, but still leave the barns open for them!” What about feed? Don’t goats eat just about anything? “Forget the idea of goats eating everything from the washing to a prickly hedge,” Roger laughed. ??q?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q????e?????????????????????????????????????????????????q%?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t(+?a=?????????????????d)A????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????5??????????????
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