leading the herd
SUMMER LAND CAMEL FARM’S OWNERS ARE RELISHING THE CHALLENGE OF MAKING MILK PRODUCTS FOR THE MASSES, OPERATING SUSTAINABLY AND HELPING GROW THE INDUSTRY.
THINK ABOUT CAMELS in the Australian landscape and the most likely picture that will spring to mind is a camel in the outback. Middle Eastern and Indian traders brought camels, one of the oldest domesticated animals on the planet, to Australia in the 1800s and they formed part of the exploration party led by Burke and Wills in 1860. Camels were also used in major construction projects and to transport goods in remote areas, though eventually they were replaced by motor vehicles in the 1920s. If you’ve visited the Northern Territory or central Queensland you might have seen camels in the wild; Australia has the only population of feral dromedary camels in the world. Or perhaps your knowledge of Australian camels has come from Robyn Davidson’s 1980 book Tracks, about her solo camel trek from Alice Springs to Western Australia’s coast. What you probably don’t expect to see is a herd of camels in a paddock on Charles Chauvel Drive in Harrisville, south of Ipswich, Queensland. “We had people screeching to a halt and jumping the fence to get pictures when they first arrived,” says Summer Land Camel Farm co-owner Paul Martin. “Until then, we’d had no plans to open the farm to the public but, in the interests of public safety, we have.” Paul and business partner Jeff Flood bought the 340-hectare property two years ago with the purpose of operating a camel dairy and using the milk to make cheese and gelato, as well as skincare products. As they build the herd, they will develop a dairy camel breeding project, expand into camel meat processing and explore tourism opportunities. Summer Land Camel Farm represents both an experiment and business challenge to these men. The pair has come to camel farming with a point to prove: that they can have a fully traceable food production system and operate at scale, but also that they can manage the land and animals well. There’s a focus on soil management and sustainability; Paul and Jeff have implemented some of ecologist Allan Savory’s management principles, such as rotational grazing. They also hope to have an impact, however small, on the feral camel population and build a viable camel farming industry. “We want to help grow the industry,” says Jeff. “The question is, how do we save this animal and see it as an asset and how do we help others get going in the industry?” Paul and Jeff have known each other their whole lives: their parents are friends and they played rugby and cricket together in their 20s. When it comes to the business, the pair’s skills are complementary. Paul, a former cattleman, grew up working on the family property Coorabelle in Springsure in the central highlands region of Queensland, before striking out on his own. His experience with drought taught him that traditional farming methods are not sustainable. “I shifted my thinking from the animal to pasture,” he says. “Ultimately, we’re farming the soil and growing good grass means growing good beef.” The relationship between soil and quality food, and by extension human health, was also a preoccupation for Jeff, who studied science and has worked as a physiotherapist and in corporate strategy around food security. “I was >
looking for an agriculture project and Paul was too. We had a shared vision, soil and food, and we look at the same thing from different angles. We’re different in lots of ways but being friends helps. There are no rule books for this project and no-one to look to, but to us it makes sense.” Since starting the business, Jeff and Paul have built the herd numbers on the farm to 550. Of those, about 80 are being milked at any one time. The remaining stock are either young cows who have yet to calve, pregnant cows, or bulls. Dromedary, or Arabian, camels have one hump, and since they have come from the wild they are all sizes — the largest bull here weighs in at nearly a tonne and is about 2.7 metres tall — and their coats, ranging from cream through to chocolate, are both smooth and hairy. They are also doe-eyed like jersey cows and clumsy-looking when they run. “They are very, very sensitive animals,” says Paul. “But they’re like labradors when they settle down, eager and friendly. They definitely want to meet you and look you in the eye.” Early indications bode well for the future of the enterprise. “We assumed we’d get four litres of milk per camel a day, but we’ve achieved 6.5 litres at times and one camel averages 12 litres a day,” says Paul. Not only are the camels providing more milk than expected, but the milk has made an impression where it counts — it was awarded a gold medal in the new camel milk category of the Sydney Royal Cheese and Dairy Show this year. For those who haven’t tried it, camel milk has a taste unto its own — different from cow, goat and sheep’s milk, but still recognisably milk. It is a little sweet and tastes clean. It makes a great cappuccino. Sold under the brand Summer Land Camel Dairy, Paul and Jeff’s other products — including a Persian-style feta and fresh curd forage blanc, as well as gelato — are available for sale at the farm and distributed in Queensland, NSW and the ACT. While the success of the business so far means there are plans to expand to national distribution, for Paul and Jeff one of the most rewarding parts of the job is seeing people visit the farm and fall completely in love with the camels. Summer Land Camel Farm is open to visitors. 8 Charles Chauvel Drive, Harrisville, Queensland. (07) 5467 1707. For opening hours and stockists, visit summerlandcamels.com.au
“There are no rule books for this project and no-one to look to, but to us it makes sense.”