Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses

SUFFOLK FARMHOUSE CHEESES - FROM SUFFOLK TO SARK

We catch up with Fram Farmers members, Jason and Katharine Salisbury, to hear how plans are progressing with their move to Sark after they were selected from a world search for the new dairy farmer.

Sark, an island off the North West coast of France, hit the headlines last year when it launched an international advert for a new dairy farmer to take over the island’s only dairy farm due to the retirement of the existing tenant. This is no ordinary dairy farm. Sark, which is only 2.1 square miles, has no cars, no paved roads and no street lighting. However, it does attract over 50,000 visitors each year, driving a demand for fresh milk and dairy products.

Competition for the tenancy was fierce (over 80 applicants from all over the world), however, the island authorities saw that Katharine and Jason had the qualities needed to step up for the challenge. They had already proven themselves in the incredibly difficult process of starting in dairy farming as first generation farmers; their initial business at Shrubland Park in Coddenham in Suffolk, was started in 2004, with the aim to produce cheese from their own milk. Katharine is a vet by profession and Jason was a herdsman on the farm when they took the opportunity to take on the tenancy, starting with 16 Guernsey cows. In August 2007 they bought their own farm two miles away in Creeting St Mary and began the planning of the new dairy unit. After obtaining planning permission, they started construction of two new dairy buildings, installation of a milking parlour and purpose-built cheese dairy. Building works were completed at the end of May 2009, with an official opening on 7th June 2009. A vending machine was added in 2015 and the herd size has now expanded to 50 in milk.

In addition to this, they have also built up a successful cheese business, producing 18-20 tonnes of cheese each year. Katharine is the main cheesemaker, with help from part-time staff. The growth of the farm business, together with the cheese business, has allowed them to take on a farm manager, whose partner is Katharine’s assistant cheese maker. Cheese is mainly sold to the wholesale market going to pubs, restaurants and retail, so this year has required some creative thinking to find a

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marketplace for their products. To adapt, they started a mobile farm shop, selling their cheese and milk and buying in other food to sell in the local village, which helped to stabilise the business and provide a source of income. “Any spare milk has been used in the usual local coffee shops, vending machines and ice cream makers that we would usually supply. We didn’t want to throw any milk away, so made some quick decisions in order to adapt and have more control over our business,” explains Katharine. “The mobile farm shop has been a great success, and due to the amazing local support, we hope to expand our farm shop on site and increase our opening hours, offering a range of our own products and other locally sourced produce.” This entrepreneurship was clearly recognised by the Sark Government, and Jason and Katharine, are now looking forward to heading there in 2021 to start the new venture, leaving the Suffolk dairy and cheese business in the capable hands of newly appointed managers. “We had planned to begin operating on Sark straight away, but the farm wasn’t viable, so a new unit is being constructed. 40 acres of land has been donated by the island's Seigneur, Christopher Beaumont, and the unit will be built from funding through the Community Farm Trust,” Katharine explains. Katherine and Jason have been very involved in the design, and the groundworks are now underway, with the hope that the farm will be operational by early 2021 when the 500 residents will be able to sample home produced milk and cream via a vending machine.

The trust will fund and own the dairy and lease it to Katharine and Jason who will operate it as tenants. There are laws on Sark that cattle on the island can only be bought from Guernsey, and must be pedigree Guernseys, so they will import 16 in-calf Guernsey cows and heifers from Guernsey to Sark in early 2021 to calve around April or May. They will be limited to a maximum of 20 cows, due to grazing limitations. Neighbouring farmers will also grow feed crops for the dairy herd. “Its such an exciting challenge,” Katharine adds. “We know it will be a learning curve, but we are determined and will put all our efforts into this new business. We have done this type of project before on a similar scale so have learnt some valuable lessons which we can take with us. It will be great to work with the islands community to make a success of this much needed resource and attraction, for the important tourism economy.”

FRAM PURCHASES

Through Fram Farmers, the Salisburys purchase the following: • machinery hire • diesel • electricity for the farm, house and cheese production facility • seed (barley, maize and lucerne) • building materials They plan to source inputs for the unit in Sark, bearing logistics and costs in mind.