eNews Curds & Whey
Spring - November 2011

WELCOME … from Rebekah

Hi all,

Spring is the one season where the dairy farmer and cheese maker are pushed to their limit – with literally more MILK than one knows what to do with!

Lucky for us, our milk is quickly pumped straight into our cheese vat to utilise the amazing abundance of spring milk being produced by our newly lactating cows. Thirty cows odd jersey cows calved in roughly thirty days which certainly kept Mel, Anna and Dan busy on the farm, and the milk in the vat was getting closer to the top of the vat. It is lovely to see so much of our frothy, creamy rich jersey milk being made into the most beautiful cheese and dairy products… And, now all we have to do is wait for the cheeses to mature on the old wooden boards in the store room.

The photograph above shows our neighbour Peter, with his tractor and baler in full swing on our farm. I love to watch the newly made bale of hay being rolled out. Dan was really thrilled at the spring surplus hay & silage we were able to capture this year. This supply will hold us in good stead for feeding the cows over summer and autumn, while we wait for the opening autumn rains to start growing our green lush winter pastures.

Spring has passed us by with such a busy schedule, on farm, in the factory, and the usual run of fabulous events at The Cheesery, and further events held around the peninsula.

CheeseFest11 was again a highlight in the calendar this year, and being a two day event this year the team was kept busy helping visitors at our stall. Again, we sold out of our picnic packs and not many punters could resist the temptation of sprawling on the lawn with an Alexandrina “Cheese for Dudes” lunch pack! Delicious! CheeseFest11 is a celebration of the Australian specialty cheese industry providing an opportunity for cheesemakers to promote and raise the awareness of the art of specialty cheese making. Be sure to mark CheeseFest in your calendar next year in October 2012.

You will be glad to know that our Fiddles on the Farm concerts will resume in autumn, starting on Mar 18, Apr 15, and May 20 2012.

A family friend Sue visited The Cheesery recently with her two year old grand-daughter Abbey. Sue and Abbey shared an Alexandrina strawberry milkshake and to Sue's surprise, Abbey drank three quarters of the frothy, pink shake! We can't wait to see her drink a whole milkshake to herself next birthday!

It is stories like this that help us remember what the pleasure of being close to family and friends as we near the end of a really fantastic year.
If you have a story to share, please email info@alexandrinacheese.com.au.

Cheers for cheese, Rebekah & Baby Jozef

What's Next?
T'was a couple of days before Christmas

Sunday 18 December 2011

You are welcome to join us for our fourth annual festive celebration on Sunday 18 December 2011. The Fleurieu Harmony Chorus pull together a group of talented Fleurieu Peninsula based barber shop singers to entertain you with a sweep of harmony songs.

Sit down to share an Alexandrina cheese platter, and experience the taste of a Goodieson beer. Please note that entry to the concert is free, and table bookings are essential, please book a table by phoning factory on T 8554 9666. Alexandrina Cheese is open from 10am – 4:30pm, music starts from 12noon. This will be your last chance to shop – festive hampers, puddings & lots more gifts for the food and wine lover!

Simply wear your bells to bring in the festive season with us at T'was a couple of days before Christmas!

Download Flyer (PDF 64 KB)

2012 Australian Year of the Farmer launched

The Governor General
Her Excellency Quentin Bryce recently launched the 2012 Australian Year of the Farmer.

This is a year focused on celebrating hardworking primary producers who grow food and feed our nation, vital agricultural enterprises that underpin communities Australia-wide.

In passing, the Governor General highlighted the vital network of farmers' markets that connect producers and consumers, delivering farm fresh food from paddock to plate.

The 2012 Australian Year of the Farmer organisation will host cornerstone events but invite other organisations to initiate events celebrating Our Farmers and Australian agribusiness.

Watch out for news of an event at Alexandrina Cheese Company to celebrate The 2012 Australian Year of the Farmer.

http://www.yearofthefarmer.com.au/

We're FINALLY on Facebook & Twitter!

Alexandrina Cheese Company has joined the world of Facebook! Like us to keep in touch with regular updates and offers!

Alexandrina Cheese Company has also joined Twitter! Follow our regular tweets to get the latest!

Been to The Cheesery recently?
Tell us what you think! We value your feedback and opinion, please take the time to write to us to assist us in improving our business.

We welcome Tegan to the retail team of Alexandrina Cheese Company.

Over the last few weeks of induction, Tegan have experienced many enthusiastic cheese customers, new interactions and new emotions. There experience in retail and hospitality has been highly valuable to us during the weekdays.

We hope you enjoy the opportunity to work with us in the Retail and Tourism team, and we can only envisage that you will become addicted to Alexandrina Cheese in the coming months!

We can imagine that the first few shifts were fun and yet scary as you found your way around, learning new tasks, acquiring new skills, gathering information and get to know us and the other retail team members.

We will love to watch each employee grow…and we look forward to working with you Tegan!

Welcome to the Next Generation

A lovely little announcement!

All of us here at Alexandrina Cheese would like to announce a heart-felt congratulations to Rebekah and Mark who welcomed new addition, Jozef Allan Przibilla to their family on Sunday August 7, 2011.

Some of you will already know this big news, but we would like to send our love and support to the Przibilla's for this new and exciting stage of their lives.

Regards, Dan and Krystyna McCaul & family.

SHARE WITH US IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
CHEESE HAMPERS are available now!

The gift of a hamper is a wonderful way to send warmth and cheer to friends & family,
we offer the choice of four lovely hampers.
“There is something to suit everyone…”

FOUR HAMPERS TO CHOOSE FROM ...

GOURMET $99 • KING $59
QUEEN $49 • THREE WISE MEN $39

Delivery is available in South Australia.

Complimentary freight with
3 or more hamper orders.

TO ORDER - phone 85549666

Holiday Hamper Flyer460 (PDF KB)
Order Form (PDF 65 KB)

South Australian distribution only.
*Special Conditions apply.

We are back!

To all our wonderful patrons and customers at the market,

Summer trading at the Willunga Farmers Market

December 10 December 24
January 7 January 21
February 4 February 18

And, most importantly Baby Jozef is willing to come along to the market...!!

We will have a winter break in 2012 – June, July, August, back in September.

Please be sure to pop up to the factory on Sneyd Road, if you are needing any dairy delights.

Becky & DJ

Saturdays from 8am - 12:30pm
in Willunga Town Square.

Remember to buy local, support local at the Willunga Farmers Market.

www.willungafarmersmarket.com

We are at the ASFM every Sunday!
(except during Adelaide Show time).

The market opens at 9am until 1pm, at the Adelaide Showground, Leader Street, Goodwood.

You will find Alexandrina Cheese in the Pavilion tasting hard style cheeses and luxury dairy products, every single week!

See you there for Sunday morning socializing, it is just one place you will find both producers and people who enjoy fresh, seasonal and regional food.

http://www.asfm.org.au

Recipe of the Season

Gingerbread

A family recipe from Cousin Lexie called Lebkuchen, German Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 60g butter,
• 2/3 cup golden syrup,
• 1 & 3/4 cup plain flour,
• 1 teaspoon bicarb,
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger,
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice,
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves,
• 1 Tablespoon Alexandrina full cream milk,
• 2 tablesp plain flour (extra)

Method

Melt butter and golden syrup, bring to boil, remove, stand ten minutes, add sifted dry ingredients, stir with wooden spoon. turn on to flour dusted surface kneed lightly until mixture loses stickiness, roll out 8cm thick. Cooking 180 degree oven 8-10 mins or until golden.

To assemble a Gingerbread House we recommend clicking here!

This year, The Cheesery are stocking festive cookie cutters in all sorts of shapes and sizes, including Christmas Trees, Reindeers, Santa, Candy Canes, Snowman, Gifts, and Angels.