Australia's first Sheep, Camel, Goat and Jersey milk cheese is born from flood devastation and the friendships of farmers
Yes, we all get by with a little help from our (four legged) friends
Australia's first ever Sheep, Camel, Goat and Jersey milk cheese has officially been launched, the result of a flood-inspired collaboration between Towri Sheep Cheeses, Tommerup's Dairy Farm, Summer Land Camels and Naughty Little Kids, all famed producers from the Scenic Rim. EWE+3 is proof that when the going gets tough, the tough get collaborating.
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VNR HERE with interviews and overlay:
Widespread floods earlier this year devastated many farms. Among these was Towri Sheep Cheeses, at Allenview in the Scenic Rim just out of Beaudesert, and a leading agri-tourism operator and producer of award-winning cheeses made from milk from their beloved Awassi herd.
"The floods caused absolute devastation to our business, livestock and family farm, including the collapse of our main water supply," said Towri's Dallas Davidson who with her mother Carolyn run the sheep dairy and cheesery. "Milk production went down 100% as our dairy was completely flooded, and we were unable to deliver to our wonderful restaurant clients due to flood waters and road closures. It was pretty horrid …. but, we emptied our gum boots, dried out our work gear and thought about how we could keep moving forward."
"Then, it hit us, we simply ask our friends – two and four-legged!"
During the drought Towri Sheep Cheeses collaborated with the acclaimed Tommerup's Dairy in the Kerry Valley on other side of Beaudesert to create Moo & Ewe, a Jersey and Sheep Milk range, which continues to this day.
"We thought – let's take this further. We live in the glorious Scenic Rim, a region of dairies, of inspiring producers, and of truly creative partnerships born of Eat Local Week, so let's create a Collaboration Cheese."
With this idea, Towri and Tommerup's Dairy, together with Summer Land Camels and Naughty Little Kids near Boonah literally pooled their milk resources and Carolyn Davidson, Towri Company Director and Head Cheesemaker with over 17 years' experience, went to work. After much trial and error, EWE+3 was born. "To our knowledge this is an Australian first, and could very well be a world first," said Dallas.
Given the complexity of the different milks, EWE+3 is rich in taste. It is a cooked natural rind cheese, with earthy, buttery and pear undertones and a touch of sharpness from the sheep's milk.
Already some of the top restaurants in Queensland use produce from the four suppliers involved, with The Paddock at Hazelwood Estate, ESSA and Elska in Brisbane, Blume Restaurant in Boonah and Mason Wines being the first to carry EWE+3, with inquiries already being received from interstate restaurants.
It is available at Towri's September 18 Farmer's Markets and at their monthly Open Farm Days.
ABOUT TOWRI SHEEP CHEESES
Over 300 beautiful acres of Scenic Rim rolling hills just out of Beaudesert, Towri is home to 350 sheep. Towri's herd is specifically bred for milking, and although this is a relatively new industry to Australia, sheep milk is prized worldwide for its clean taste and health benefits. The milk herd includes the Awassi (a Middle Eastern fat tail sheep), the East Friesian and the Assaf (an East Friesian/Awassi Cross). The leading agritourism operation features a purpose-built dairy with specialist milking equipment, cheesery, visitor areas, cheese tasting areas and the Towri homestead and gardens.
Towri Sheep Cheeses – Boutique Cheese Ewe Will Love
ABOUT TOMMERUP'S DAIRY FARM
Located in the picturesque Kerry Valley in the Scenic Rim, Tommerup's Dairy Farm is a 6th generation family farm, famed for their chemical-free regenerative and biodynamic practices, where diversity of animals, plants, and production build soil health and create quality, award-winning products. It's a place where history and tradition, people and place come together to create a truly magical farm experience. Their Jersey girls herd produces rich, creamy milk that nourishes calves and pigs to create amazing rose veal and milk fed pork and is respectfully crafted by the farmers into Jersey Girl artisan dairy products in the on-farm creamery.
ABOUT SUMMER LAND CAMELS
Australia's largest commercial Camel Dairy, Summer Land Camels embraces sustainable and regenerative agriculture to produce the most pure and healthy Camel Milk products. They are passionate about sharing their knowledge through authentic paddock-to-plate experiences and showcasing their award-winning Camel Milk and Camel Milk products. An ancient superfood, Camel Milk has been treasured for thousands of years for its unique health benefits.
Camel Milk Skincare | Farm Tours & Camel Rides | Summer Land Camels
ABOUT NAUGHTY LITTLE KIDS
Naughty Little Kids is the very aptly named goat dairy on the outskirts of Peak Crossing in the Scenic Rim that make award-winning cheese and gelati that caters to the allergy free market. Run by the Jackson family, the farm has been operating for 12 years and love their inquisitive, naughty herd!
https://www.naughtylittlekids.com.au/
ABOUT THE SCENIC RIM:
The Scenic Rim has been named by global travel authority Lonely Planet as one of the hottest destinations to visit in 2022! Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2022 names the top 10 countries, cities and regions to visit, with the Scenic Rim the only Australian inclusion. Just an hour from Brisbane and 30 minutes from the heart of the Gold Coast, the Scenic Rim stretches from Canungra to The Lost World, Beaudesert to Boonah, Tamborine Mountain to Kalbar and is home to the ancient World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests, six historic national parks, charming towns and villages, adventure parks, farm stays, craft breweries, boutique wineries, ecolodges, tantalising gourmet experiences, world class camping and glamping and breathtaking spaces in between. It's a region of more than 4,200 square kilometres of rich volcanic soil surrounded by ancient mountains and home to thousands of farmers and food creators, more than 30,000ha of parkland, plus three dams - Lake Moogerah, Lake Maroon and Wyaralong Dam.
