Business is booming as couple milk their dream

The heart and soul behind Touchwood Goat Dairy, Sonia and David Thomasson have successfully operated a hollistic goat dairy for years— they are now expanding to make their highly regarded goat’s milk available to the public.

Set in the Huon Valley, just south of Strathblane, their 12ha farm is a haven for their beloved LaMancha goats, which play a pivotal role in producing a diverse range of artisanal goat milk products such as soaps, goats milk caramel “cajeta” and their latest addition— goats milk ice cream.

Today the couple have created a thriving business with a permanent stall at the Salamanca market that buzzes with activity every Saturday.

Soon the couple plan to expand to a bigger stall at Salamanca to keep up with their growth and the hopeful introduction of selling goats milk in glass bottles.

Both Sonia and David hail from the Huon Valley, where agriculture runs deep in the community’s veins. 

“We'd always grown up in the Huon Valley, it's a real farming community, I grew up with a milking cow and David and I had a cow when we first got married," Mrs Thomasson reminisced.

Their venture into goat farming was never meant to become as big as what it has. 

What started with a few goats intended to provide milk for the family, turned into a bigger production but one that the couple still manage to run all by themselves.

“We didn’t really mean to have a business, we didn’t set out to make it a big thing, we just wanted to support our family, now it’s become our third child.” Mrs Thomasson said. 

Now, with kidding season coming up in September, the herd continues to grow.

Unlike large-scale operations, Sonia and David prioritise a natural approach, ensuring their goats’ well-being and health.

With the herd now at 75 LaMancha goats, the Thomassons manage their dairy with a natural approach, milking each doe once a day to maintain a balance between milk production and maternal care.

At Touchwood, the milking season is year-round and this year they are milking 35 does.

“Our milking routine reflects a homestead approach,"” Mrs Thomasson said.

“The mothers raise their own babies, so we only milk the does once a day.”

This, she says, respects the animals but also results in milk that is renowned for its mild, creamy taste—a feature of LaMancha goats milk.

“We always leave a little bit of milk with the mums after milking so there is enough for the mothers to feed the kids.” Mrs Thomasson said.

On average, Touchwoods goats will produce 3 litres a day but some of their does produce a lot more, especially at peak milk time which is just after they kid in spring all the way through until the end of February when they start reducing their milk amount.

“Unlike cows, you don’t need to breed them every year, you can milk them on for two or three years before re kidding again, which is really good for home milking,” Mrs Thomasson said.

From milking to processing, everything at Touchwood Goat Dairy is managed on-site. 

All of the days milk is processed at the farm each day, just a few feet away from the dairy.

Mr Thomasson pasteurizes the milk immediately after milking so it can be turned it into delights like ice cream and Cajeta, a goat's milk caramel ready to be sold within a day or two.

This ensures their dairy foods are just moments away from their freshest forms.

If the milk isn’t used for ice cream or a soap straight away they will put it in the blast chiller and cool it down to below five degrees within two hours.

The Thomassons’ commitment to sustainability enters every aspect of their operation. Their goats roam freely across their farm, selectively grazing on native plants.

“A lot of people often say goats will eat anything but in fact they’re actually really picky eaters.” 

Sonia says they don’t eat a lot of grass and prefer shrubbery like Teatree, wattle and blackberries

Before having a herd of LaMancha’s they had a couple of other breeds but found they struggled with the long cold and wet winters in the Huon Valley.

“The line of Saanens we had suffered with the cold and the wet feet whereas the LaMuncha’s are much hardier and have much better feet.”

“Goat’s are much like cats where they absorb the sun and hate the rain, so when its wet our goats will find shelter in our big barn.”

As Touchwood Goat Dairy continues to grow, the Thomasson’s have plans to introduce goat’s milk in glass bottles to meet customer demand sustainably. 

“We’re asked for goat’s milk almost every day,” Mrs Thomasson said.
“Every year we have more people wanting goat milk products so hopefully we’ll be able to produce enough milk to do that this year.”

Beyond production, Touchwood Goat Dairy welcomes visitors year-round, particularly during kidding season in September and October.

“It’s a busy time with school groups and people stopping by to see the new baby goats,” Mrs Thomasson said. 

The Thomasson’s conduct farm tours in the summer and produce a variety of products weekly using their goats' milk. Sonia makes around 24 varieties of soaps each week. 

For the couple, it’s the holistic way they have set up the dairy that is their favourite thing.

“Everything we do, from the grass up, is done with care and attention,” Mrs Thomasson said.

“Here at the farm, customers can some and see the goats and see where everything is produced.”

“From the moment the milk is collected to when it becomes ice cream or soap, it’s all within a few days,” she said adding that it’s a freshness their customers appreciate.

For the Thomassons, Touchwood Goat Dairy isn't just a business—it's a way of life. 

“It’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle.” Mr Thomasson said.

“When we were working full time, we were doing this on the weekends anyway, so it’s just become an extension of that.”

It is a seven day a week commitment for Thomassons who haven’t taken a holiday in years, but as the business has grown in success and popularity, they say it’s just about time to get some more help so they can take a well-deserved break.