Jersey Girl Organics –Open Day

Cleavedale Farms, one of New Zealand's oldest Jersey breeding farms and home to Jersey Girl Organics, is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary this year.

Additionally, Jersey Girl Organics will celebrate it’s fifth year of operation.

To mark these two amazing milestones the long-serving farming family behind Jersey Girl Organics, the Vosper family, will host an Open Day at Cleavedale Farms on Saturday 4 May, from 10am.

The Open Day is an opportunity for fans of organic produce to get up close and personal with the animals, and to find out more about organic farming and the origins of Jersey Girl milk.

Together with their organic partners - Kaimai Range Honey, Lewis Road Creamery, Indulgenz and Essenza coffee - three generations of Vosper's look forward to greeting all visitors to their Matamata farm.

The Vosper family story is one of grit and hard work; caring for the land, waters and animals against the backdrop of political and social change over the 20th century. It’s a farming story that is uniquely Kiwi and one that they will happily share with interested guests.

Cleavedale Farms converted to an organic system in 2003. With their Jersey herd producing only A2 beta casein, Jersey Girl Organics has been able to deliver exceptional, delicious and award-winning milk to New Zealanders since 2014.

Open Day event details

Location: Cleavedale Farms, 74 Hinuera Road, Matamata

Date and time: Saturday 4 May, 10am

Dress code: Gumboots and raingear are recommended

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/625557007871480/

• Note 1 - Cleave Vosper and his brother Fred walked their cows to Matamata from Taranaki in 1911. Cleave and wife Mary moved from Turangaomoana to current farm in 1919. Cleavedale Jersey stud was established in the 30’s becoming prominent breeders producing champion cows and bulls. Son Maurice with wife Beth Vosper took over the herd in the 60’s. The farm is currently managed by Cleaves’ great-great grandson Michael Vosper.

• Note 2 – Minimising the environmental impact of their farming enterprise is a top priority for the Vospers. Organic management does this in several ways.

Mitigations for greenhouse gas emissions include no urea applications; plantain in their diverse pastures; low stocking rates; building soil carbon levels. Energy dependant inputs such as herbicides and synthetic fertilisers are not used reducing dependency on non-renewable resources such as phosphate rock.

Provision for improving biodiversity has been achieved through plantings around the farm, diverse pasture mixes, application of soil conditioners as well as release of a biological control for thistles. Three species of dung beetles have been releases over the last 2 seasons to improve nutrient cycling, reduce run off and increase water holding capacity of the soil. In addition dung removal increases pasture production, utilisation and lowers parasite burden.

Nitrogen leaching losses calculated by Overseer are well below the average dairy farm.

• Note 3 – Cleavedale Jerseys are DNA tested for A2 -casein genes. Jersey Girl Organic milk is 100% A2. Consumption of milk containing A1 -casein has been found to increase gastrointestinal inflammation and decrease cognitive processing speed and accuracy. Some symptoms of lactose intolerance can be avoided by consuming milk containing only the A2 type of beta casein.

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