Food Artisans of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands by Don Genova

Author:Don Genova
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-77151-070-7
Publisher: Touchwood Editions
Published: 2014-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

FAIRBURN WATER BUFFALO—DUNCAN

While Fairburn Farm in the Cowichan Valley offers city slickers a peaceful farmstay in their rambling farmhouse or small cottage, the real attraction for foodies is a chance to see Canada’s first water buffalo herd grazing in the nearby pastures. This fifty-three-hectare property has been a working farm on and off since 1888, but in 2000, current owners Darrel and Anthea Archer decided to import a dairy herd of water buffalo from Denmark in order to create a product unique to North America at the time, mozzarella di bufala. Their journey has been difficult. The European BSE scare at the time caused the federal government to order the entire herd of eighteen slaughtered. The Archers fought the order for two years but eventually lost. Luckily, the water buffalo had done what animals do: they had procreated, and all of their offspring were allowed to survive. The herd has now been milked for several years and Natural Pastures Cheese Company in Courtenay is making both large and small (bocconcini) balls of mozzarella. Water buffalo meat is lower in fat and cholesterol than beef and higher in minerals. The Archers sell their male calves to Island Bison in Black Creek, where the meat is eventually for sale. I’ll never forget the time I stayed at the farm and watched the entire herd of water buffalo thunder past my cabin on its way to the milking parlour. Made the earth move, and my heart as well, to see these magnificent creatures on their way to provide milk for a magnificent cheese.

Harbour House Farm manager Rob Scheres

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