AN innovative approach to marketing their unique dairy products is reaping the benefits for a Northern Tablelands producer and a major fresh food retailer.
Nowendoc dairy producers and processors John and Lia Christensen have built a relationship with Harris Farm Markets to supply a line of single-origin dairy products to the growing chain.
Mr Christensen said the relationship with Harris Farm Markets started when they displayed some of the products from their New England Cheese business, including milk, yoghurt and cheese, at a NSW Small Business event in Tamworth.
“The Harris Farm buyer came up to us and really liked the product, and she wanted it in their stores,” he said.
After 18 months of negotiations, the Christensens sent their first delivery of a tonne of product to Harris Farm Markets about 13 months ago.
“About a week after the first load we were up to supplying four tonnes, and now we’re doing between 10t to 12t a week,” Mr Christensen said.
“It’s bigger than we ever envisaged.”
The Christensens supply 16 products to Harris Farm Markets, including pure Jersey milk and cream cheese, and a large selection of items made from goat’s milk, ranging from fresh milk to cream cheese and yoghurt.
The Jersey milk is sourced from Gloucester dairy farmer Rodney Green, with Mr Green’s entire supply of milk contracted to the Christensens for use in their products.
The goat’s milk comes from the herd of 500 dairy goats that the Christensens run on their property.
All manufacturing also takes place on the Nowendoc property, which the Christensens purchased three years ago for its reliable high rainfall.
After 40 years in the dairy manufacturing industry, Mr Christensen said they either sourced their equipment for the facility from overseas or he built it himself.
“One of the good things about the facility is we can make so many different products – it’s very flexible,” he said.
“We can put through about 900 litres an hour.”
Mr Christensen said they had chosen to use Jersey milk for its rich, creamy colour, superior taste and the recognition of the breed among the public.
Harris Farm Markets joint chief executive Tristan Harris said the products had been selling well.
“Dairy was one of our highest growth areas in the past year, and that’s largely off the back of these products,” he said.
The story behind a product was becoming more important to customers, Mr Harris said, and this had been one of the strong points of the products supplied by the Christensens.
“To find a single source dairy product is highly unusual,” he said.
“But we’ve found the customers are very satisfied with the dairy products from John and Lia because they’re great quality and there’s a strong providence story behind them.”
This was echoed by Mr Christensen, who said people from Sydney who had purchased the products had travelled to the property to see their source.
For the Christensens, expanding to supply more products to Harris Farm Markets looks set to happen, but the biggest challenge could be finding skilled labour.
“Universities and colleges in Australia have closed down their cheese making courses, and we’re having to look at getting people on 457 visas to find skilled workers,” Mr Christensen said.
