What do Prince Charles and Joe and Antonia Gretschmann have in common? Answer: They are both organic dairy farmers . . . putting milk on the market from happy cows that are not treated with chemicals and graze on pasture that never sees an artificial fertiliser or spray. Prince Charles’s brand is Duchy Originals, the Gretschmann’s is Elgaar Farm.
All the family, (the couple have six children) work on the farm near Deloraine – even if it is only bringing in the cows after school for the youngest two, born here after the family moved to Tasmania from Germany in 1986.
Elgaar farm looks after its products from cow to our fridge – milking its own herd of Jersey cows, bottling the milk and cream, making the sour cream, quark, yoghurt, butter, several different cheeses and butter. The simply packaged cultured, unsalted butter is one of the most popular products and often has to be rationed to retailers – so buy it when you see it.
The Gretschmanns also grow and gently roll their own oats in a machine invented by Joe, and make a range of muesli. Then, at 4am on Tuesdays, the truck is loaded at the farm for the run to Hobart and fresh products are on our shelves within 24 hours of milking at the most.
In 2001, Elgaar Farm was named the best certified farm in Australia at the National Organics Conference.
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