ST. MARY’S, Ont. – George Taylor traded the screams of Formula race cars and the pounding of pads on the gridiron for the bleat of goats and the staccato rhythm of milking machines.
Five years after leaving TSN in Toronto, the former sports broadcaster has returned to his farming roots and runs a successful gourmet cheese business.
Taylor’s move from television to dairying may not seem like a natural progression, but the St. Mary’s farmer says many of the self-discipline and communication skills he developed in his previous career have proven valuable in food production.
Read Also
Vancouver port says it has improved efficiency
Grain movement has been strong at the Port of Vancouver due in part to a new centralized scheduling system.
“If you want to build a brand, communication is key to success in marketing,” he said. “Milking is a routine that must be followed to maximize production and keep feed and herd health costs to a minimum.”
He looked at cattle and sheep before settling on goats.
“Our farm was traditionally a sheep operation, but their milk output is too low for the type of cheese I wanted to produce and shearing was another issue, as there are no local shearers. So I settled on goats.”
Goat milk can be used to produce a soft or semi-soft cheese called chevré that is aged for as few as two weeks. It makes up 95 percent of Taylor’s production. The bright white colour, sharp but rich flavour and salty and tangy finish make it popular with wine or fresh fruit and for entertaining during holiday seasons.
Goat dairy products are traditional food for consumers of Middle Eastern and North African heritage.
Taylor feels the market in southern Ontario and the northeastern United States is far from saturated with goat products.
Ontario produces about 11 million litres of goat milk annually, equivalent to about one day of cows’ milk production.
“I could see a niche for the product and created a business plan that takes advantage of it,” he said.
Taylor brought in a closed herd of dairy goats from the U.S. in 2002 and now milks 112 animals up to 300 days per year. The goats produce an average of three litres of milk per day per animal.
The toughest part of establishing on-farm processing was convincing the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that he should be allowed to process his cheese in a building that is all but attached to his milking parlour and barn.
He said the rules for dairy processing were created for the cattle industry and large scale food processors, not artisan food producers and farmers.
“CFIA is only now starting to look at making the on-farm food processing regulations fit the needs of consumers and farmers. In 2001 it was a real uphill battle to get licensed.”
The 160-acre farm ships more than 12,000 kilograms of its C’est Bon cheese through a food distributor each year.
Taylor believes that by processing his milk into cheese, he can make a small farm profitable without the need to milk 1,000 goats every day.
“We produce enough hay for them on the farm and rely on local feed mills for concentrates (milled grains and other nutrients),” he said.
Taylor avoids ensiled feed because it can affect the flavour of his milk and ultimately his cheese.
The farm also tries to steer clear of milk from other producers for the same reason.
The cost of labour is also an issue.
“It is a very competitive market for labour,” he said.
“I have two on staff and whatever they can’t do, I do. This isn’t a nine to five business, but for a small land base, it can produce a living.”
