The Rural Voice, 1999-04, Page 24Goats go main stream
As the popularity of goat milk explodes, more traditional
farmers stake their future on this untraditional animal
Story and photos by Bonnie Gropp
Broiler producers Ilenk and Ellen Van schaik (below) renovated an old pig barn
and switched to dairy goats, an area they see growing in the future. The
intelligent goats (top) also win points from producers for being pleasant animals
to work with.
Once a niche market, the goat
milk industry is growing and
more and more livestock
producers are making the change to
meet the increasing demand.
While the goat milk industry is
not new (the product was being
delivered door-to-door in Toronto as
early as 1952), there has been a slow
but steady increase over the years.
Deirdre Armstrong, Ontario Goat
Milk Producers Association
secretary -treasurer, said that at last
count there were approximately 130
licensed producers in Ontario. "A lot
of small dairy producers, who felt the
pinch of quota, have switched," she
says.
Unlike cow milk there are no
regulations through supply
management on the amount of goat
milk processed, but the same high
quality is ensured through strict
laboratory testing and analysis by the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food
and Rural Affairs. Tony Dutra of
Woolwich Dairy/Nova Cheese Ltd.,
says that improvements in
technology and in milk testing have
resulted in improvements to the
quality of goat milk.
With three million litres of goat
milk being shipped per year in
Ontario and sales in the province
totalling $10 million, Association
spokesperson Carroll Thomas says
20 THE RURAL VOICE