If you’re lucky, you’ve tasted Italy’s pride and joy that is mozzarella cheese made from the milk of buffalos. If you’re less lucky, you’ve only known the factory pulled cheese that is the consistency of rubber and tastes about as bland too.
That’s the stuff you find on the grocery store shelves in North America.
The Italian stuff, on the other hand, is the stuff of the gods. Chefs and gourmets prize it, along with the best virgin olive oil that money can buy.
Darrel and Anthea Archer, who own and operate historic Fairburn farm on Vancouver Island, decided that they too wanted to manufacture buffalo mozzarella, Italian style.
The Archers own one of only a handful of large herds of water buffalo in North America, which came to them through an indirect and circuitous route. They had imported a herd of 15 buffalo from Denmark in 2000; however, after a Danish mad cow outbreak, the Canadian government forced the Archers to destroy their herd. A memorial plaque for the cows stands on the farm today. When tests showed that none of the herd had contracted the disease, the Archers were allowed to keep their offspring. It is those cattle that form the family tree for the herd that exists today.
But Anthea Archer talks about those lost cattle as if they were family.
“When you lose something precious, that memory stays with you forever,” she says.
“The reason we got buffalos themselves is because they are a hardy animal that have never been hybridized,” she explains. “And on Vancouver Island we grow beautiful grass. And the animals turn grass into beautiful milk. Because water buffalo are high in butter fat, it was perfect for making cheese. Mozzarella is a high-end cheese, very sought after and only available through importation from Italy up to this time. It can be made from cow’s milk, but there’s no comparison.”
The buffalo milk is sent to Natural Pastures Cheese Co. two hours away in Courtenay, B.C. That’s where the buffalo milk is made by hand into mozzarella di bufala, an Italian version that is higher in fat and protein and far richer than its Canadian cousin, which is made from regular cow’s milk.
Since the Archers began manufacturing their premium cheese, three other farms in Canada have imported buffalo, although the Archers are the only farm to import from Europe. Their sweet-natured herd is treated better than the typical cow in a factory farm. The 30 or so buffalos are out in pasture for eight months of the year and even in winter they have access to a big outdoor area that is not the usual concrete. The fields are not sprayed with herbicides or pesticides, so the buffalo eat natural grass.
Because many of the Italian buffalo farms are more conventional, Anthea says that she avoids comparisons to Italian manufactured mozzarella.
“A lot of the buffalo we saw in Italy were in feed-lock situations, so they were confined,” says Anthea. “We didn’t see any out in the fields.”
On Fairburn Farm there is a culinary retreat and guest house run by chef Mara Jernigan. Jernigan, who extensively studied cheese-making and culinary arts in Italy, is a proponent of the International Slow Food Movement, which is a non-profit member organization that wants to counteract fast food. Unlike fast food, the idea of Slow Food is to know where your food comes from, how it’s made and the importance of freshness and quality, and buying locally grown vs. imported from miles away. It’s what Fairburn Farm is all about. Summer and winter, the Archers harvest vegetables from their garden.
“We freeze or can anything that can be preserved in winter,” says Anthea. “We rarely go out and buy anything in terms of vegetables.”
HOW DOES YOUR FARM DIFFER FROM THE TYPICAL FACTORY FARM?
HOW ARE THE ANIMALS TREATED?
ARE YOU PROPONENTS OF THE SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT?
HOW IS BUSINESS? HOW MUCH HAS IT GROWN SINCE YOU STARTED MANUFACTURING THE CHEESE?
ANTHEA ARCHER
They are out in the pasture 8 months of the year and just come up to the barn for milking and go right back down to field again. Fresh air. Even in winter they have a big area outside, so there’s no confinement for them at all. It’s their choice whether they are undercover or outside in a dirt area. Not concrete. Not hard on their feet.
Herbs and stuff growing when weather is appropriate.
They smile a lot. They’re lovely animals.
We still miss them but we have named a few of the newer ones by their mothers name. we feel life is going on. You never forget. There is always that lump that sits in your stomach but life goes on. That applies to anybody.. they were animals but whe you lose something precious that memory stays with you forever. We have .. the reason we got buffalos themselves is because they are a hardy animal that have never been hybridized. And on Vancouver island we grow beautiful grass. And grass the animals turrn grass into beautiful milk. Because water buffalo are high in butter fat was perfect for making cheese. Mozz is a high end cheese very sought after and only avail through importation from italy up to this time. It can be made from cow’s milk but no comparison
We try to avoid that comparison in that respect because it’s made the same way whole process from natural point of view is same but you are looking at what animals eat. We don’t spray our fields so everything they eat is natural. A lot of the buffalo we saw in italy were in feed lock situations so they were confined. We didn’t see any wout in the fields. Those animals were confined. Concrete. Didn’t get outonto pasture at all. It would have to (taste diff). even in diff parts of italy…
We’ve been involved ever since the local group started here… people get together … there were no farmers at beg. A lot of meetings are in Victoria 30 miles away. Because we don’t tend to go out quite as much the group all get to gether they all love good food we have a bok exchange every Christmas. Exchange recipe books thing slike that. And when we get together we have good local food. Either made by a good local chef people pay to be there or it’s a potluck you sample . its’s all go t to be local produce from a local farm.
Going back to 100 ile diet they talk now my husband laughs and he says just walk out into the garden and pick what you want, summer and winter. We freeze or can anything that can be preserved in winter. We rarely go out and buy anything in terms of vegetables.
Now yes. There are 3 farms in Ontario the first one he got his animals just a year ago from u.s. they were feral group of animals. They are having a problem getting them to settle down.they want offspring. Because they have semen from italy. Hope to be milking next year. When they have first calves. They currently have dairy farm and want to ease into buffao in time.
They have income coming in whilst they do transition.
Then there’s another farm martin an dlori they brought in 40 from Vermont in Woodstock. Because last sprng there was period of time when that farm went bankrupt. And martin had bought 40 animals from them and new purchaser came in and put stop to all sales. They are from dairy herd. He has had 20 calves and started milking. No cheese yet.
And we sold some animals in October to martin. They are very young calves. And two year olds and 1 year old in Ontario.
We are the only ones with European blood lines …
The others might not do mozz. Not one of those farmers are cheese makers themselves. They have to rely on whoever is the cheese maker. I gather in Ontario the cheese makers are clamoring to have access to milk
We have a local cheese maker we worked with with intention of making cheese when he started using our milk he found he could not turn it into cheese. Was not working out. So he told us there was something wrong with our milka dn didn’t want it anymore. Left us on the lurch. And cheese maker on salt spring … not ready. But natural pastures in courteny said they were ready and would pay us for milk immediately.
And they have done an excellent job. They must have spent $15 to $20K on consultants…
Mara was interested in thisand our daughter Margaret was planning to be a cheese maker and things changed in her life. Her fiancé was posted to quesnel.
The cheese is now available in thrifty’s.
Whole foods it’s available.
Manitoba and sask, but not Alberta. Distributor there did not jump on opp.
Definitely a lot of chefs want it.
Robert belcham was on city cooks he did a program on the mozz from natural pastures and talked about our farm. And that.
QUOTE
Now, Fairburn Farm is a tranquil environment for a herd of happy, docile cows, the Archers, and a culinary retreat and guest house run by chef Mara Jernigan. Jernigan, who extensively studied cheese-making and culinary arts in Italy, is a proponent of the International Slow Food Movement, which is a non-profit member organization that wants to counteract fast food. Unlike fast food, the idea of Slow Food is to know where your food comes from, how it’s made and the importance of freshness and quality, and buying locally grown vs. imported from miles away. It’s what Fairburn Farm is all about.
Each day, the Archers milk 30 “girls” from their herd. The milk is then sent to Natural Pastures Cheese Co. two hours away in Courtenay, B.C. That’s where the buffalo milk is made by hand into mozzarella di bufala, an Italian version that is higher in fat and protein and far richer than its Canadian cousin, which is made from regular cow’s milk. For foodies, there’s no comparison.
Darrel and Anthea Archer
3330 Jackson Rd.
Duncan, BC V9L 6N7
Info about Water Buffalo: 250-746-4621
Rn Farm is a gorgeous old historic farm located about 45 minutes north of Victoria on Vancouver Island. The farm was originally homesteaded in the late 19th century and was purchased by Molly and Jack Archer in 1954. The Archer's son Darrel and his wife Anthea are the current owners and stewards of the 130 acres of rolling hills, timber and barns, some of which date back to the original homsteaders. While the farm has served many functions over the years, supporting beef cattle, farming and summer camps for kids, today it is the home of one of only three significant herds of milking water buffalo in North America.
Water buffalo are beautiful creatures who are gentle and docile, much like cows, but are intensely curious and interested in what's going on around them. After being milked, the Archers told me that the 'girls' (all of whom have names and distinct personalities) like to hang around in the barn with them rather than going out to pasture...it's as if they're enjoying their morning social time. They graze on pasture grass during the spring and summer and eat hay and other forage grown on the farm during the winter. Darrel says one of the many things that was attractive about Water Buffalo species was their hardiness - they adapt easily to the damp Northwest winter climate and are resistant to the hoof and foot problems that commonly plague cows, goats and sheep in the region.
The Archers acquired their original herd from Bulgaria by way of Denmark in 2000, and a peculiar twist of fate drew them into an intense dispute with Canadian regulatory authorities. Right after they acquired their first 19 buffalo, an outbreak of mad cow disease occurred in Denmark, affecting only one cow. After getting wind of the outbreak, the Canadian government became involved, ordering the Archers to destroy the herd. A protracted legal battle ensued, but the Archers were eventually forced to put down the animals in 2002. When the (now deceased) herd tested negative for mad cow, the Archers were allowed to keep the offspring who had been born in Canada, and it's these animals that have become the foundation of the current population. A poignant memorial to Bond, Victoria, Bertha, Dora and 15 others sits near the entrance to the farm (see photo, next page).
Today that conflict is a painful but thankfully distant memory. The Archers now spend their time milking about thirty animals once a day, sending all of their milk to Natural Pastures Cheese Co. in Courtenay, BC, a couple of hours to the north. Natural Pastures cheesemaker Paul Sutter makes mozzarella di bufala by hand once a week and says the product is so successful he can't keep up with the demand. The demand is not surprising, considering that theirs is the first mozzarella di bufala made commercially in Canada. Water buffalo milk is higher in both butterfat and protein than cow's milk, and even higher in butterfat than sheep's milk. This translates into gorgeously rich and creamy mozzarella, nothing like any cow's milk mozzarella you may have had.
Currently Darrel and Anthea are facing an issue familiar to many farmers and cheesemakers - succession. They're both in their 60s and starting to think about who will take over the farm and shepherd the water buffalo operation into the next generation. They currently lease the original farmhouse to Mara Jernigan, a chef who runs a successful culinary retreat and guesthouse (recently mentioned in Gourmet Magazine). Guests can enjoy Jernigan's fantastic cuisine and, as an added bonus, visit the resident herd.
