Southland cheese udderly natural

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Robin and Lois Greer, of Retro Organics Dairy Factory at Tuturau, with some of their maturing cheeses. Photo by Charmian Smith.

Robin and Lois Greer of Retro Organics have dreamed of making cheese from the milk of their own cows ever since they moved to Southland 17 years ago.

For almost a year they have been doing so, producing cheese from the milk from their two organic dairy farms at Tuturau near Mataura, and are about to start making a thick, Greek-style yoghurt.

The couple sharemilked in the Waikato before moving and buying their own farm in the South.

Southland has the best climate for dairying - it grows great grass and there's reliable rain in summer, Mr Greer says.

Certainly, surrounded by rolling green paddocks with the Mataura River flowing a stone's throw away, and a herd of small brown Jersey cows gathering near the gate in the sunshine, it looks idyllic.

A small staff who share the owners' ideals help on the farm and in the factory.

Their herd is mostly Jersey and Jersey-cross. About two-thirds the size of the more common Friesian cows, they need less feed in winter, and their milk has a higher butterfat content, Mr Greer says.

Some of the special character of their cheeses comes from the seasonal variation in the milk as, unlike many other cheesemakers, they do not standardise their milk, so the butterfat content varies.

The mix of herbs in the pasture, including plantain and chicory, not only gives a local flavour to the milk, but also helps balance the soil. Both the Greers lost their fathers to cancer when they were teenagers and were concerned about the carcinogenic potential of the chemicals used in farming, so they decided to reduce their use. Having made the decision, they found there was little information about organic dairy farming.

While there were several organic beef and sheep farms in Southland, there were only four organic dairy farms, Mr Greer said.

It took a long time to get the soils back in good balance and for the past nine years they have been moving towards organics. They are now in the last year of transition to full Bio-gro certification.

The Greers visited several boutique cheesemakers in the granite belt in Queensland and come back with many ideas for their project.

However, dealing with bureaucracy, getting the required consents and meeting various requirements to build the factory is difficult for a small producer, so they have built their factory larger than first planned to avoid having to extend it later, Mrs Greer says. Within five years they hope to be able to process all their own milk - Fonterra presently takes what the Greers do not use, but it doesn't pay a premium for organic milk, Mr Greer says.

The couple have a small shop which runs the length of the new factory, with viewing windows displaying the gleaming stainless-steel equipment and the cheeses, sealed in plastic, maturing on white pine shelves.

The white mould from the camembert and farmhouse is so prolific it would grow on everything - the feta, the cheddar, the colby and halloumi, if the cheeses weren't encased in plastic he says.

Some years ago, Mr Greer did a weekend cheesemaking course with Dave Milner, who helped set up several boutique cheesemakers in the South and still advises the Greers. For 18 months he experimented in the kitchen, and finally, about a year ago, when the factory was finished, they started making their own cheese.

They are a work in progress - they haven't been going long enough to have an aged or vintage cheddar yet.

The cheeses are named after Southland localities, such as Wyndham mild cheddar, a creamy, sharp Glenham colby, Catlins camembert, Riverside feta, and Hokonui halloumi which is ideal for barbecues as it doesn't melt. Some are flavoured with cumin or sage which gives a delicate flavour.

They are available by mail order or from the farm shop at 651 Mataura-Wyndham road, which is open on Wednesday afternoons or by appointment, and can be found in supermarkets and organic shops around the country, and at the Gore farmers market on the first and third Saturday each month.

• www.retroorganics.co.nz [2]