written by Joanna Leach
August 24th, 2023
Denmark’s agricultural heritage has long been associated with quality dairy products. This lasting legacy has seen the development in more recent years of an undeniable monopoly and market concentration enjoyed by some of the largest producers and wholesalers in the industry.
Significant advantages in terms of resources, economies of scale, and distribution networks mean smaller scale producers in Denmark face serious competition when it comes to price points and yields.
But, as people accumulate more knowledge about farming practices and animal welfare, and become more
discerning about what goes into their food, we are making more conscious choices about who we buy from.
And we are asking more questions about the overall impact of these choices on our current food system.
One of the main aims of Grønt Marked is to foreground producers who align with these values.
Attention to how produce is sourced and crafted and the focus on quality and consideration over mass production, gives smaller scale producers the kind of market edge that Grønt Marked wants to support and promote.
As one of the longest-standing members of Grønt Market, Copenhagen Goat Milk is a perfect example of how smaller-scale producers can push back against industry monopoly, here in the form of a regenerative, organic dairy, and handmade specialist cheeses that are fast making a name for themselves on the Copenhagen food scene.
Artisanal goats’ cheese from a family brand
Many of our regular market goers recognise Claus and Summer, the couple behind Copenhagen Goat Milk.
Starting up 8 years ago, their small-scale, organic dairy and farm shop in Jystrup has been the outlet for some experimental and memorable offerings over the years.
Setting up their stall at the first Grønt Marked back in Christmas 2018, you could find goats’ milk ice cream and even soap alongside their freshly made yoghurt and cheeses. As their cheese game has developed and earned itself a following over recent years, they are now prioritising their three goat cheeses as their core line: the fresh cheese, the Tomme, and the Chevre.
Bringing experimental goats’ cheese onto the Danish food market alongside the Havarti’s and Gamle Ole’s is no mean feat, but thanks to the hard work of Claus in the dairy and Summer in the curing room, their cheeses have carved out their own place in the crowd.
For Summer, cheese cultures are something to explore and experiment with; a process she likens to baking the base of a cake and “adding the spices, aromas and flavours you want.” The result is an array of aged white-bloom and hard cheeses, some with a deep aroma of chantarelles, some with a crazy tangy kick, all with something special to offer. The quality and experimental side of the product is the reason they’re currently working with some of the city’s most notable chefs and restaurants.
Regenerative land management for healthy, happy goats
While Summer hand rolls and cures the cheeses in their 16sqm curing room, Claus tends to the goats on their 12 hectares. In order to maintain the milk yield, the goats are milked every day for 10 months of the year, so despite its small scale, the project is an intensive one. Goats are milked in teams of 12, helped in and out of the milking station by Lulu the dog, a bona fide mini goat herder.
The milk comes from their 48 Danish Landrace goats, who roam and feed from the wild growth, in line with holistic grazing principles. Claus and daughter Malissa guide the goats around to alternating pastures, offering them a new “salad bar” of different weeds and flora each day.
This is a purposeful regenerative technique which prevents overgrazing, erosion and degradation of the soil, ultimately preserving its delicate ecosystem. Such a method gives the land time to recover, allowing for vegetation regrowth and for the soil to rebuild its nutrient content naturally.
For Copenhagen Goat Milk, the decision to forego traditional ploughing techniques and let the soil make its own choices has provided the goats with a hearty supply of one particular flowering plant: bird’s-foot trefoil (“kællingetand”), which grows freely and abundantly, and by Claus’s estimates, has had a surprisingly beneficial effect on their yield over the last few years.
Regenerative methods like holistic grazing not only support the health of the soil and wider environment, but also that of the livestock. As Claus testifies, access to open pastures, fresh air, and the opportunity to exhibit their natural behaviours such as grazing and browsing, results in reduced stress levels and increased overall well-being of the animals.
This in turn enhances their resilience to disease and makes them less susceptible to parasites. With the additional help of swallows nesting in the rafters – and Lulu of course -, who play their own part in ridding the goats and farmhouse of unwanted pests, the farm has not had a vet call-out to the premises in over 2 years.
Landrace goats for the Danish outdoors
According to Claus, another key factor in this success is the fact that their Danish Landrace goats are perfectly suited to the habitat, unlike the Swiss Saanan goats that many goat farmers opt for in Denmark. The industry preference is due to the fact that the Saanan goats are well-known for producing more milk, but they also require far more robust housing as they are unable to withstand the cold as well as the Landrace breed.
For Claus, the decision to keep Danish Landrace goats was a simple one then, as given the need for open spaces and free-grazing for the health of the animals, resilience to outdoor temperatures was a pretty essential factor. Such choices made for the project over the years have all been with a view to simply making a living from their produce, rather than any grander designs for expansion.
Born out of an original desire to “live frugally”, when they talk about their dreams for the business and the future, the couple agree “the objective is not to be big, it is to live from it”. It’s also clear that for Claus and Summer, a priority is continuing to learn about how to optimise and develop what they already do, both being self-taught when it comes to both dairy farming and cheese-making. Whether researching online, or visiting farms in Denmark and abroad, Claus and Summer are often on the lookout for new inspiration.
From ways to maximise indoor stall space inspired by a visit to Germany, to more ethically-conscious approaches to weaning inspired by Sardinian farmers, the couple believe in collaboration and sharing knowledge when it comes to new methods and ways to improve their current setup.
Building relationships, building a customer base
Collaboration on their home turf here in Copenhagen has led to a small but loyal clientele, mainly accumulated through word of mouth, since Claus himself admits he has “no desire to be a salesman”.
Some of this has also been down to an opportunity to share their story and engage in direct sales at Grønt Marked.
For a small outfit like Copenhagen Goat Milk, this exposure has been a useful tool to attract the right customer base and be offered the chance to explain exactly what it is they do.
This opportunity to engage directly with the customer can be critical with specialist products, especially given the customised care they sometimes require, in the absence of industrialised processing techniques: “I can say to the shop owner, ‘you need to do this and that, treat [the cheeses] in this-or-that way…’ or ‘You need to keep them in colder surroundings,’ things like that. I wouldn’t be able to do that through a wholesale company”.
This kind of face-to-face relationship between producer and consumer can also provide the opportunity for discussion and feedback. Claus recalls a time when some cheeses they believed had aged beyond selling potential were met with delight and enthusiasm from a couple of chefs, who told them the resulting depth of flavour was exactly what they were looking for: “I would never have been able to get that kind of feedback without being there [in person]”, says Claus.
Copenhagen Goat Milk and Grønt Marked: mutual support and shared values
The relationship between Grønt Marked and Copenhagen Goat Milk has drawn an audience of food lovers with the kinds of adventurous tastes that help to spread the word about their produce.
The growing popularity of goats’ milk and its associated nutritional benefits may hopefully mean an even more lucrative spot on the market for Copenhagen Goat Milk in the future (goats’ milk has a lower lactose content and smaller fat and protein molecules, making it more easily digestible for some).
However, what’s equally important to Claus and Summer, is that this relationship also serves to align a customer base looking for consciously-made products with producers who value the same things, and have a transparency about what it is they do. As Claus puts it: “Our main customer is someone who cares about what they put in their mouth.
I always explain what it is we do and how we do it. And I always welcome people to come and visit and see for themselves”. And that’s exactly what we did, at 5am on a rainy Thursday morning in July.
Thanks again for the visit, the delicious breakfast, and the chance to learn more about what it is you do.
See you at the next market!
To learn more about Copenhagen Goat Milk, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/copenhagengoatmilk/
https://www.facebook.com/CopenhagenGoatMilk
GRØNT MARKED
Producer Portrait: Copenhagen Goat Milk
written by Grønt Marked
August 24th, 2023
Denmark’s agricultural heritage has long been associated with quality dairy products. This lasting legacy has seen the development in more recent years of an undeniable monopoly and market concentration enjoyed by some of the largest producers and wholesalers in the industry.
Significant advantages in terms of resources, economies of scale, and distribution networks mean smaller scale producers in Denmark face serious competition when it comes to price points and yields.
But, as people accumulate more knowledge about farming practices and animal welfare, and become more discerning about what goes into their food, we are making more conscious choices about who we buy from.
And we are asking more questions about the overall impact of these choices on our current food system.
One of the main aims of Grønt Marked is to foreground producers who align with these values.
Attention to how produce is sourced and crafted and the focus on quality and consideration over mass production, gives smaller scale producers the kind of market edge that Grønt Marked wants to support and promote.
As one of the longest-standing members of Grønt Market, Copenhagen Goat Milk is a perfect example of how smaller-scale producers can push back against industry monopoly, here in the form of a regenerative, organic dairy, and handmade specialist cheeses that are fast making a name for themselves on the Copenhagen food scene.
Artisanal goats’ cheese from a family brand
Many of our regular market goers recognise Claus and Summer, the couple behind Copenhagen Goat Milk.
Starting up 8 years ago, their small-scale, organic dairy and farm shop in Jystrup has been the outlet for some experimental and memorable offerings over the years.
Setting up their stall at the first Grønt Marked back in Christmas 2018, you could find goats’ milk ice cream and even soap alongside their freshly made yoghurt and cheeses.
As their cheese game has developed and earned itself a following over recent years, they are now prioritising their three goat cheeses as their core line: the fresh cheese, the Tomme, and the Chevre.
Bringing experimental goats’ cheese onto the Danish food market alongside the Havarti’s and Gamle Ole’s is no mean feat, but thanks to the hard work of Claus in the dairy and Summer in the curing room, their cheeses have carved out their own place in the crowd.
For Summer, cheese cultures are something to explore and experiment with; a process she likens to baking the base of a cake and “adding the spices, aromas and flavours you want.”
The result is an array of aged white-bloom and hard cheeses, some with a deep aroma of chantarelles, some with a crazy tangy kick, all with something special to offer.
The quality and experimental side of the product is the reason they’re currently working with some of the city’s most notable chefs and restaurants.
Regenerative land management for healthy, happy goats
While Summer hand rolls and cures the cheeses in their 16sqm curing room, Claus tends to the goats on their 12 hectares. In order to maintain the milk yield, the goats are milked every day for 10 months of the year, so despite its small scale, the project is an intensive one. Goats are milked in teams of 12, helped in and out of the milking station by Lulu the dog, a bona fide mini goat herder.
The milk comes from their 48 Danish Landrace goats, who roam and feed from the wild growth, in line with holistic grazing principles. Claus and daughter Malissa guide the goats around to alternating pastures, offering them a new “salad bar” of different weeds and flora each day.
This is a purposeful regenerative technique which prevents overgrazing, erosion and degradation of the soil, ultimately preserving its delicate ecosystem. Such a method gives the land time to recover, allowing for vegetation regrowth and for the soil to rebuild its nutrient content naturally.
For Copenhagen Goat Milk, the decision to forego traditional ploughing techniques and let the soil make its own choices has provided the goats with a hearty supply of one particular flowering plant: bird’s-foot trefoil (“kællingetand”), which grows freely and abundantly, and by Claus’s estimates, has had a surprisingly beneficial effect on their yield over the last few years.
Regenerative methods like holistic grazing not only support the health of the soil and wider environment, but also that of the livestock. As Claus testifies, access to open pastures, fresh air, and the opportunity to exhibit their natural behaviours such as grazing and browsing, results in reduced stress levels and increased overall well-being of the animals.
This in turn enhances their resilience to disease and makes them less susceptible to parasites. With the additional help of swallows nesting in the rafters – and Lulu of course -, who play their own part in ridding the goats and farmhouse of unwanted pests, the farm has not had a vet call-out to the premises in over 2 years.
Landrace goats for the Danish outdoors
According to Claus, another key factor in this success is the fact that their Danish Landrace goats are perfectly suited to the habitat, unlike the Swiss Saanan goats that many goat farmers opt for in Denmark. The industry preference is due to the fact that the Saanan goats are well-known for producing more milk, but they also require far more robust housing as they are unable to withstand the cold as well as the Landrace breed.
For Claus, the decision to keep Danish Landrace goats was a simple one then, as given the need for open spaces and free-grazing for the health of the animals, resilience to outdoor temperatures was a pretty essential factor. Such choices made for the project over the years have all been with a view to simply making a living from their produce, rather than any grander designs for expansion.
Born out of an original desire to “live frugally”, when they talk about their dreams for the business and the future, the couple agree “the objective is not to be big, it is to live from it”. It’s also clear that for Claus and Summer, a priority is continuing to learn about how to optimise and develop what they already do, both being self-taught when it comes to both dairy farming and cheese-making.
Whether researching online, or visiting farms in Denmark and abroad, Claus and Summer are often on the lookout for new inspiration.
From ways to maximise indoor stall space inspired by a visit to Germany, to more ethically-conscious approaches to weaning inspired by Sardinian farmers, the couple believe in collaboration and sharing knowledge when it comes to new methods and ways to improve their current setup.
Building relationships, building a customer base
Collaboration on their home turf here in Copenhagen has led to a small but loyal clientele, mainly accumulated through word of mouth, since Claus himself admits he has “no desire to be a salesman”.
Some of this has also been down to an opportunity to share their story and engage in direct sales at Grønt Marked.
For a small outfit like Copenhagen Goat Milk, this exposure has been a useful tool to attract the right customer base and be offered the chance to explain exactly what it is they do.
This opportunity to engage directly with the customer can be critical with specialist products, especially given the customised care they sometimes require, in the absence of industrialised processing techniques: “I can say to the shop owner, ‘you need to do this and that, treat [the cheeses] in this-or-that way…’ or ‘You need to keep them in colder surroundings,’ things like that. I wouldn’t be able to do that through a wholesale company”.
This kind of face-to-face relationship between producer and consumer can also provide the opportunity for discussion and feedback. Claus recalls a time when some cheeses they believed had aged beyond selling potential were met with delight and enthusiasm from a couple of chefs, who told them the resulting depth of flavour was exactly what they were looking for: “I would never have been able to get that kind of feedback without being there [in person]”, says Claus.
Copenhagen Goat Milk and Grønt Marked: mutual support and shared values
The relationship between Grønt Marked and Copenhagen Goat Milk has drawn an audience of food lovers with the kinds of adventurous tastes that help to spread the word about their produce.
The growing popularity of goats’ milk and its associated nutritional benefits may hopefully mean an even more lucrative spot on the market for Copenhagen Goat Milk in the future (goats’ milk has a lower lactose content and smaller fat and protein molecules, making it more easily digestible for some).
However, what’s equally important to Claus and Summer, is that this relationship also serves to align a customer base looking for consciously-made products with producers who value the same things, and have a transparency about what it is they do. As Claus puts it: “Our main customer is someone who cares about what they put in their mouth.
I always explain what it is we do and how we do it. And I always welcome people to come and visit and see for themselves”. And that’s exactly what we did, at 5am on a rainy Thursday morning in July.
Thanks again for the visit, the delicious breakfast, and the chance to learn more about what it is you do.
See you at the next market!
To learn more about Copenhagen Goat Milk, visit:
https://www.instagram.com/copenhagengoatmilk/
https://www.facebook.com/CopenhagenGoatMilk