Jim and Liz Naftel
The Naftels' quaint 17th Century Guernsey granite farmhouse holds strong heritage, having been in the family for three generations. Both Jim and his wife, Liz are third generation family farmers. They met at a Young Farmers event in their youth and have been inseparable ever since with two teenage children.
The Naftels are proud to be the island's only organic farm and supply the Dairy with 1,000 litres of organic milk each week, which they say only happens if the cows are happy.
For Jim and Liz, like all our farmers, this is their priority. They've named everyone one of their 40 strong herd of 'Guernseys'.
"We play our cows gentle music through the milking parlour. You can tell they like the song when their tails wag to the beat."
To achieve and sustain their organic status, both the farm and the Dairy must adhere to The Soil Association standards. This means the cows are fed a wholesome diet free from artificial additives, chemicals and genetically modified ingredients. The use of antibiotics is restricted and there are limitations on the use of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides on the land.
All of our Guernsey farmers have this similar ethos, but organic farming is enforced by strict rules ensuring that every part of the Naftels' farm deserves the high organic standard it achieves.
Being a certified organic farm is passionate about animal welfare standards and environmentally sustainable land management. Liz, who is also the Secretary of The Royal Guernsey Agricultural & Horticultural Society says this is made possible by their landlords of the 240 vergees that the farm rents.
"Animal care is our ultimate priority. Organic cows must have access to fields, weather permitting of course. They must also be truly free range and also have plenty of space to prevent stress and keep them healthy," said Jim.
Through selective breeding, Liz and Jim have been carefully choosing their cows to ensure the milk from Les Fauconnaires contains only A2/A2 protein. The Dairy has been supporting them throughout the process with genetic testing. A2 is a different type of milk protein, which is naturally prevalent in Guernsey cows; however, Les Fauconnaires is Guernsey's only solely A2 herd.
In its first year of entry into The Guild of Fine Food's, Great Taste Awards 2021, Guernsey Dairy's Organic milk received 2-Stars (out of a maximum of three) with comments from Great Taste judges;
"A full flavoured, low fat milk which was a delight to sample. The milk coated the mouth and the creamy flavours lingered. We thought we were sampling a full fat milk, showing that it's possible to retain the flavour while reducing the fat content. A low fat milk with plenty of sweet, warm, animal-tinged flavour. It had a pleasingly rich, complex flavour that we felt showed that the milk had been respected and not over processed. Delicious."
