18 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » BOI Pastoral Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxx. Karen Phelps On a family-run farm at Pokapu, northwest of Kawakawa in Northland, the milk from a Jersey herd travels only metres from the paddock to the bottle under the Bella Vacca label. Jody Hansen and Gav Hogarth have built a boutique milk brand that delivers creamy, old-fashioned goodness to homes and cafés from Kaitaia to Auckland. When the Fonterra payout plummeted back in 2017, Jody and Gav decided to take matters into their own hands. Rather than accept the price handed down, they set up their own on-farm processing plant. “We believed we had a quality product, and we wanted to have some control over what price we get paid,” Jody says. Today, Bella Vacca milk is pasteurised, bottled and ready for delivery just metres from where the cows are milked. “We take the milk straight from the cow shed to the pasteuriser. It’s piped straight in, pasteurised, chilled, bottled and goes out the door the next day,” Jody explains. “Fonterra milk can sit for two days before it’s even picked up.” The farm itself has been in the Goodhue family for over a century. Jody and Gav arrived as sharemilkers 14 years ago, and now Jody’s son Cam and daughter-in-law Amy own the herd on the 120-hectare property. Close to 150 Jerseys are milked on 65 hectares, with a mix of pasture, young stock area and native bush making up the block. Jerseys, Jody says, are well-suited to Northland conditions. “They’re smaller, so they don’t make as much mess on wet ground. They’re more heat tolerant in summer, and they convert feed more efficiently. Plus, their milk is rich and creamy – higher in protein and calcium than other milk.” From the start, Bella Vacca has been about keeping things natural and local. Milk is bottled in reusable glass – mostly one litre, with some 500ml options, and larger volumes for cafes and gelato producers. “Customers love the quality, they love the taste, and they love the fact that it’s in glass,” Jody says. Travels only metres from the paddock to the bottle Alongside milk, the family also produces Poppa Jax yoghurt named after their grandson Jackson (Bella Vacca itself takes its name from grand daughter Bella). The yoghurt is made on-site with just milk and culture, nothing else added, and packaged in glass jars. “It’s a natural yoghurt. We don’t use preservatives or milk powder. We just leave it plain so people can flavour it themselves,” Jody says. The team are now experimenting with a trimmilk version – “actually quite creamy for a non-fat yoghurt,” she adds. “Some days it is hard work, and you think, why the hell are we doing this? Then you get a thank you card from a customer who loves the product, and it makes it all worthwhile.” For accounting services call us on 0800 438 393 or visit www.sumpters.co.nz Tax Compliance Corporate Governance Maori Organisation and Iwi Services Specialised Advisory Services FarmAccounting and Agribusiness Commercial Property Management Proud to support Bella Vacca Jerseys CONTACT BRENT 027 2748 366 brentwallaceltd@gmail.com Proudly Supporting BOI Pastoral Excavator, Bulk Lime/Fertiliser/Metal Cartage, Flat Deck Truck + Trailer & Transporter Conventional Baling | Round + Big Square Silage & Hay Baling Seed Drilling | Powerharrow & Airseeding | Ripping/Discing E luent Spreading | Tip Trailers | Hedge Trimming | Boom Spraying Partnering with Industry for Better Outcomes Proudly Supporting BOI Pastoral www.fsqs.nz FSQSNZ is recognised by MPI to complete verification audits and recognised agency functions for a wide range of sectors including: • Farm Daires - Local Market and Export • General Dairy Manufacture • Export Dairy • Infant Formula Manufacture • Heat Treatment Systems • Stores and Transport • Raw Drinking Milk Regulated Control Scheme • Egg RMPs • Bee Products • Export Honey • Dual Operator Butchers Distribution has been carefully built up over time, with Bella Vacca products now found in small New Worlds, Four Squares, butchers, fruit shops and independent retailers, as well as through home delivery in parts of Auckland. Deliveries are done in-house so bottles can be collected, sterilised and put back into circulation. Alongside the family, the business employs two full-time and two part-time staff, supporting locals while keeping the operation humming six days a week. Processing milk and yoghurt is hands-on work, but the rewards come in the feedback. “Some days it is hard work, and you think, why the hell are we doing this? Then you get a thank you card from a customer who loves the product, and it makes it all worthwhile,” Jody says. Currently, approximately 50 percent of the milk from the herd goes to Bella Vacca, with the balance sold through Fonterra. That mix allows the business to grow its branded range while maintaining stability. Jody and Gav arrived as sharemilkers 14 years ago, and now Jody’s son Cam and daughter-in-law Amy own the herd on the 120-hectare property. Close to 150 Jerseys are milked on 65 hectares.
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