Julia Ruth McKay

Over 3 years ago two of my heifers gave brith to stillborn calves. Both had perfect young udders and plenty of milk. To ensure their health I purchased a single bucket milking machine and began to milk them daily. All good, but what was I to do with 60 litres of beautiful, creamy milk. At first I gave it away to people with pigs or to others who wanted to drink it. But as more heifers began to calve in my little herd of 30 young cows, it became unsustainable to make these gifts. 

Then I trawled the web and learned about herdsharing as well as the growing demand for "raw drinking milk". Maybe I should try this as an outlet for my growing milk supply. Being near Canberra, I put the word around with friends and gradually people started to respond. So my fledgling business was born! "Foodies" and health buffs purchased a share in the herd for $200 and paid me $25 to $30 per week to look after their animals and in return I delivered to their homes approximately 10 litres per week. So far, so good. I was supplying milk to more than 100 families, my cows were wonderful producers and I left the calves with their mothers until nature finished each lactation. The heifer calves (female) were largely retained as replacement stock and the bull calves (males) were raised for milk-fed veal. These young bulls were weaned at about 6 months (only when they were showing an unhealthy interest in their half-sisters!). The milk and meat were of a consistently high standard.

It all changed for the worse when late last year, 2015, the NSW Food Authority paid me a visit. They issued me with a Prohibition Order preventing me from selling unpasteurised milk. I complained that no sale was taking place and that the members of my herdsharing group were simply taking their proportion of the milk produced and the amount varied according to the season. Similarly, the agistment fee also varied according to seasonal conditions. The officers were quite pleasant but unconvinced by my explanation. However, they were prepared to turn a blind eye to the business provided that the herdsharers came to the farm to collect their milk rather than my delivering it.

For a while this worked. But over time people tired of organising rosters and travelling for an hour and a half either way. The numbers have dwindled and I have been forced to re-think my business model. The manufacture and sale of raw milk cheese is now legal in NSW and most other States as is the sale of raw milk to cheesemakers, whether private or commercial. So this is my plan - to become registered with the NSW Food Authority as a licenced raw milk dairy - the first in NSW.

To produce raw milk in quantity and to ensure its safety is an expensive and time-consuming process. It is even more onerous for someone like me who raises and cares for her animals in a very special and ethical fashion. JEDE is no ordinary dairy - the cows all have names, they are fed only the best natural lucerne hay and treats while milking, they are loving and quiet, happy in the knowledge that they will never be hurt nor will their calves be taken away until they no longer want them. No factory farming for Jacqua cows!

I recently applied for a convertible loan of $1.2 million and was accepted. However, there are establishment costs amounting to $14,000 that I am struggling to meet. Once I can raise this money, the convertible loan will be injected into JEDE to enable me to develop the raw milk cheese facility and to upgrade the dairy to enable me to milk up to 60 cows every second day. I must also refinance my existing loan on the farm which currently amounts to $850,000. So that's where the money's going. 

As for you - my hoped-for new supporters - your $200 (or multiples thereof) will get you a share in the herd. If you then want milk, the weekly fee of $30 (at present) will be necessary. If you don't want milk you can always purchase the veal at a cost of $11 per kg all properly killed and butchered in licenced premises. After weaning, they are fed in my trailer until familiar with it. Then the gate is closed and I take them to the abattoirs after all the killing is finished for the day. They are put in a pen together (2 or 3 at a time) and are first killed next morning. I trust they know nothing about it and that their lives have been nothing but joy.

$14,000 doesn't sound like much but to me it is the catalyst for an innovative and ethical way of managing a dairy herd. Your contribution to this enterprise is greatly valued and, as JEDE gains a reputation for excellence in animal husbandry, other dairy farmers might consider adopting some of my animal friendly methods. Let's hope so.

Marketing is the major issue in the success of JEDE. Managing supply and demand is vital - too much product and not enough customers must be avoided at all costs. Far better to have insufficient product and too much demand. However, JEDE will appeal to a niche market that is already evident in the local region of the Australian Capital Territory, the Southern Highlands and Sydney. 

My previous experience with supermarkets and convenience stores has directed me to avoid these outlets. Small business can never play in this marketplace with fights for shelf space and payment terms. Our ethical lines will go to specialist providores and restaurants - people who understand hand-crafted products and who appreciate quality when they taste it.

The cheeses that JEDE will create will not require packaging but will be sold as wheels - no need for shrink-wrapping or boxing. It will be the responsibility of the vendor to cut and wrap, not ours.

The pitfalls of the past have taught me so much and my supporters are so much the better for it.