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Belchers believe that it is this care and focus on cleanliness that has allowed them to remove the typical “ gamey ” smell and taste from their cheese . In the milking shed , the attention to detail continues . Each goat has a strip cup test performed at each milking session to check for blood or lumps . If these are present , the animal can be treated quickly and effectively for its ailment ~ most commonly mastitis . Animals that require treatment are given special care and sometimes isolated from the herd to prevent further stress . “ A lot of this process is about getting to know the animals ”, says Norman . He is always concerned over the condition of his animals . He receives a visit from the state vet once a year when his animals are individually tested for brucellosis , and every two years for tuberculosis . “ The spread of brucellosis in Gauteng has reached crisis point ,” says Norman . He worries that consumers are not aware of how bad the spread of the disease has become . As a result , he is proud to hold a clean bill of health for all his animals . His current concern is the slow recovery of his older ewes after birth . He says he is never satisfied that they are in good enough condition . Belnori ~ like many small businesses ~ faces the challenge of being much smaller than the major dairy and cheese producers in the country . Because of their size , they do not have dedicated specialists on their staff . Norman works with nutritionists and other experts periodically to find solutions but both Rina and Norman havehadtodoalotof learning themselves . All of the milk produced at Belnori is pasteurised . This is done as an added measure of protection for the consumer . Beyond that however , the milk is not treated in any way . There are no additives or preservatives in the products . Rina runs the cheesery . She loves the combination of creativity and science that goes into making cheese . Their cheesery is an impressive series of rooms, beginning with three large temperature regulated tanks that hold the milk fresh from the goats . Next , the milk is
SMART SMALLHOLDERS
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moved into the pasteuriser . Rina says “ I never thought I could love a piece of machinery as much as I love this machine . It revolutionised our lives .” Before this machine was custom-made for Belnori , the pasteurising process would take up to five hours . Now it takes an hour . The machine had to be adjusted to suit goats ' milk ~ with equipment in South Africa being made predominantly for cow ' s milk . Goats ' milk is pasteurised at 68˚C for 30 seconds . The Belchers point out that all their equipment has been paid for cash , rather than on finance . When making Chévre , the curd is loaded into homemade cloth bags . Rina herself makes the bags out of dress lining . She says it saves them money and is far more hygienic than cheese cloth which holds bacteria in its
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