In her monthly column, former food writer Jo Ewart Mackenzie writes about life on one of the few remaining dairy farms in the north of Scotland
Earlier in the year, we decided to relocate the ice cream production from Daviot to Rootfield.
We worked out that not only would the move save 176 hours of Nick’s time over the year in terms of delivering milk to Daviot, but it would make the entire operation more streamlined.
It will also tie in far better with our branding, which is centred on the provenance of the milk used in the ice cream – historically a rather tricky sell when the cows are based 15 miles from where the finished frozen product is actually being made.
Another added bonus and happy coincidence is that our key staff are all based within five miles of the farm, resulting in a considerably reduced commute to work for them once relocation is complete.
So as work gets underway converting the calf sheds into an all singing and dancing processing and production facility, what would ordinarily have been a fairly quiet time on the farm has turned into a frantically busy one.
The very first job was relocating the calves; they are now housed in the byre next to the house, also home to the dry cows and expectant mothers.
The next was getting advice from environmental health and plans drawn up for making the former calf accommodation food safe; we have done this by lining the sheds with wipe-clean sheeting, a bit like the wet wall panels you can get for showers.
Getting the flow of the buildings right has been tricky, too.
Before conversion began, the sheds comprised a bull pen (used for the new born calves), then a row of three separate pens for the other calves, depending on their age, all separated by stone walls to waist level.
We liked the idea of keeping some of the original buildings as part of the design, but had to knock down all but one of the partition walls to create all the different elements needed for making an efficient facility compliant with all the health and safety regulations.
Not only did we have to have a place for each piece of specialist equipment, fridges, freezers and work surfaces required in the production area itself, but there had to be a separate staff area – for outdoor clothes and breaks – a hand wash area, an area for aprons and indoor shoes, the production area, distinct areas for cooked and raw ingredients as well as ambient and cold food storage.
In all honesty, it has been a rather more complex project than we had envisaged.
Added to this, we have been conscious of trying to keep costs to a minimum since the whole idea of relocation was to make savings in time and efficiency.
Fortunately, we already had the majority of the equipment we needed at Daviot – the ice cream kitchen there was purposefully designed to be portable – but with plans to expand our range of dairy products over the coming months, we have had to invest in a couple of additional pieces.
Needless to say, commercial milk processing equipment does not come cheap but with Nick’s usual resourcefulness, he managed to obtain a second hand pasteuriser from someone in Bath.
This pricey, but essential, bit of kit will be hooked up to a pipe that comes directly from the bulk tank in the milking parlour so that when you open the nifty tap at the bottom, out comes pasteurised milk fresh from the cow. Magic! (Not really, but I find it impressive.)
The 6,750-litre bulk tank for the unpasteurised milk that Highland Fine Cheeses collects every other day also has a device enabling collection of milk in a jug or bottle, except that in Scotland it is illegal to sell raw milk. (Nick and his family grew up on the stuff and I cook with it – fantastic for creamy béchamel sauce – although being pregnant I don’t drink it or give it to Daisy.)
The best part of the new, on-farm pasteurising equipment is that the milk won’t be homogenised (remember the top of the bottle back in the day when your milk was delivered to your door?). This traditional creamy product will continue to give our ice cream its unique texture and flavour as well as making an excellent ingredient for our yoghurt and butter.
Our intention is also to sell milk through our various trade clients, primarily the farm shops, once we decide on the best type of packaging. Nick also likes the idea of having our own milk vending machine on the farm, eventually.
Already popular in Europe, milk vending machines – as the name suggests – enable customers to fill their own reusable bottle or container with the creamy white stuff. The benefits to customers are potentially 24 hour access to fresh, non-homogenised milk as well as reduced food miles and reduced food packaging. Meanwhile the dairy farmer gets to reap the rewards of direct milk sales with all profits going to the producer.
The vending machine works in a similar way to the fresh milk dispensers you sometimes see in large self service restaurants or big hotels at breakfast time, with the milk contained inside fully insulated stainless steel tanks which are kept at a constant temperature of 3-4C and regularly agitated.
Before refilling the tanks, they are sterilised and the system flushed through.
There are even options on some models to monitor milk volumes, the clever machine sending a text message to alert the farmer to low milk levels, or in the event of a power cut.
Reassuringly, after a power cut the vending machine automatically stops selling milk to the customer.
As far as we can see, the only downside would be the serious outlay involved in purchasing and installing such a high tech machine. You never know though, if the demand is there it’s something to think about further down the line.
For now, at least, I think we have enough to be getting on with.
Next time: A farming family Christmas
Rootfield Farm is on the Black Isle, 10 miles north of Inverness, where Jo lives with husband Nick, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, their daughter Daisy and 150 cows