The South West of Victoria is the heart of dairy country in Australia, and it is here, near the small township of Timboon, that you will find Schulz Organic Dairy.
The area is in a band of lush land that reaches from Warrnambool to the Otway’s, separated from the drier parts of the state by the Princes Highway. The Dairy is far enough from the sea to hear it on still nights without getting the salt mists and receives some of the highest reliable rainfalls in the state.
Hermann and Marlis Schulz purchased the Schulz family farm in 1972, at a time when there was a downturn in the dairy industry. As the family had little money to purchase chemicals required for conventional farming, they were forced to run the property as a biodynamic farm. Little did they know years later this decision would be considered groundbreaking and ahead of its time.
In 2005, Simon Schulz, the grandson of Hermann and Marlis, returned to the farm at the age of 21 after spending a few years experimenting with his grandfather at a Melbourne yoghurt factory. With the youthfulness of Simon and the wisdom of his grandfather and father, Michael, Schulz Organic Dairy became known as a producer of ‘real dairy’.
“Our products are different from any other in the market because we don’t change beyond what is required – no homogenisation, no ultra-filtration, no permeates, no gelatines or stabilisers,” said Simon.
“Our philosophy is to deal in honesty, show integrity, respect the environment and produce a product that doesn’t deviate too far from its natural form.”
In 2016, Schulz Organic Dairy’s Pure Thick Cream won the Champion Organic trophy at the Australian Food Awards, an achievement that will empower the Schulz family to continue on the path they have been on for 45 years.
Schulz Organic Dairy products can be purchased online at www.schulzorganicfarms.com.au or at a number of retailers throughout Victoria and into New South Wales.