A feature article in our Winter 2022 issue written by Kathleen O’Keefe.
We’ve all experienced it. The realization that what we thought was a simple path from A to Z actually has more twists and turns and forks in the road than we imagined. Our goal is still at the end, but the journey itself has changed our perspective. So it was for Mark & Caroline Nagtegaal of Duncan, British Columbia on the path to their dream of farming together.
Both are first-generation dairy farmers and both are natives of the Vancouver Island where they now own and operate Promise Valley Farm & Creamery, a family-run, organic dairy centered around their small Guernsey herd and processing their own milk for direct-to-consumer sales.
The couple met in high school and neither of them was raised on a dairy farm. Caroline had a hobby farm and 4-H horse background, while Mark had family members with dairies where he worked in the summer. After graduating from Dordt University in Sioux Center, IA with an Animal Science degree, Mark returned home and worked on dairy farms on the island. The couple initially milked cows on a rented farm filling rented quota, but moved to their current Cowichan Valley location in 2006, an empty dairy farm that had previously been used to milk over 200 cows. They began milking Holsteins, starting with their herd of 16 cows and built the milking herd to 35 head using conventional management practices and very minimal pasture access. It was a struggle financially, and in 2015, they dispersed the milking herd, sold the quota, and liquidated the heifers over the next couple of years.
They still had the dream to dairy and kept an open mind about how that could work for them. In 2018, they met David Lukens of Grace Harbor Farm in Custer, Washington just over the border in the US. Grace Harbor is a dairy processor that specializes in yogurt and kefir (a fermented milk drink). Lukens told them that he likes to make yogurt with Guernsey milk because of its quality. While visiting Grace Harbor, the couple was introduced to Leon Zweegman of Rozelyn Farm in nearby Lynden, Washington. A passionate Guernsey breeder, Leon was willing to sell them a few animals from his herd to help them restart their dairying dream.
Over the course of the next 2 1/2 years, they purchased 19 head total from Zweegman and today their entire herd traces back to the Rozelyn Guernsey herd. Along with building their herd, they were now planning how to reenter the industry in a completely new way.
On-farm processing and direct marketing of their dairy products became the key to establishing a profitable dairy farm. This decision began the process of developing an on farm processing plant. Plans for the processing plant to be built inside the existing building that houses the milking parlor and dairy were approved in the fall of 2019. And so began the construction of what is now the creamery that produces fresh whole milk from a self serve milk dispenser as well as small-batch, cup-set whole milk yogurt.
Mark credits Caroline as being the visionary in the move from conventional farming and dairying practices to organic, while he was a little slower to change his mindset. But as they learned more about organic and regenerative agriculture, they decided to incorporate those principles into their farm, and as a conversation for their direct-to-consumer business. “Healthy soil produces nutrient-rich grass which produces healthy cows, which in turn produces high-quality milk that we feel good about consuming and providing to our customers,” notes a post on their Promise Valley Farm Facebook page.
They started selling milk and yogurt in January 2022 from their on-farm store. “The three cornerstones of our business model are the Guernsey breed, 100% A2A2, and certified organic management,” explains Mark. Their popular self-serve milk dispensing machine pours the milk into their branded one-liter glass bottles (or into containers that customers bring themselves). Their A2A2, whole milk yogurt is the key component to their business plan, and after the first year, the Nagtegalls agree that product, has solidified its importance for their bottom line. Their products are small-batch pasteurized and non-homogenized, which results in a rich creamline. Nothing is added to the milk, and no thickeners are added to the yogurt, only various natural flavors.
It’s a long, slow process to become certified organic, and in August 2022, they became became the only organic dairy farm and processing plant on Vancouver Island, and also have the distinction of being the only certified organic Guernsey herd in all of Canada. They can now advertised and package product with ‘organic’ on the label, but still at the center of their brand is the rich, golden Guernsey milk.
The 19 head of Rozelyn Guernseys have turned into a herd of 14 milking cows and 18 replacements heifers over the last three years. The family, including their four children (Lize – 16; Kailey – 13; Laura – 8; and Shemomo – 6), all love the breed for their calm, gentle temperament, as well as the milk which is high in butterfat and high in beta carotenes. Their determination to sell A2A2 milk led to some shuffling in the herd. “The cattle we purchased from Rozelyn were not tested so we tested each one as they came to us. Some of the animals were not A2A2, so we needed to sell those before they calved,” says Mark.
“We came to realize that Guernseys can be hard to find, so we have been using sexed Guernsey semen from Select Sires to maximize our potential for females,” notes Mark. “The goals of our breeding program include 100% A2A2, which we have been able to accomplish, as well as a modest sized cow that produces consistently to maintain a 20KG herd average under organic management practices.” Some of the bulls used include JC Penney (Mark’s favorite), Pilot, Reputation, Jungle, and Audrey. Mark would also like to see the cows classify as high as possible while maintaining all the goals of the breeding program. “One of the cows we purchased from Leon ended up scoring excellent during her third lactation, which was very exciting for us,” he states. Their current herd classification on 14 cows is 3VG, 7GP and 4G.
They have established the ‘Nightengale’ prefix for the herd – Nightengale being the English translation for their last name (Nagtegaal). Mark sees their current status objectively, but with bigger goals for the future. “We are not currently on DHI, but that is something we would like to add. We haven’t been working with the breed long enough to make any meaningful comments on whether our breeding plan is achieving its goals or not. We’ve only calved in a handful of heifers that were born here, so more information to come, I suppose. In terms of marketing genetics, I am definitely interested in doing this in the future.”
Fourteen cows would seem like a very small herd to most, but Mark expounds that those cows produce a lot of milk when you are trying to process it all into product on-farm. Ten cows seem like 40-50 cows when you are managing all of the milk volume, and they are working toward the goal of using all of the milk from their herd in their own value-added products.
They also make feta cheese, packaged in traditional whey brine, and Mark notes that they have had a ‘ridiculous’ amount of requests from customers to add a European-style butter to their Promise Valley product lineup. As well as selling from their farm store three days a week, they also deliver to stores within a 30-kilometer region. They are fairly close to the city of Victoria, and that population center is a big part of the next phase of growth for product sales. ‘We need to distribute our products to more retail outlets in more locations in order to build our market and reach our goal of processing and selling all of the milk we produce here,” explains Mark.
But that’s also the challenge for a small operation – how to do it all. “You’ve got to wear all the hats as an entrepreneur – farmer, processor, marketer – and you’re probably not equally good at all of them,” he says, so building a good team is important. Mark handles the herd manager duties, milking, AI breeding, manages the crops and processing. Caroline manages the store front, processes part-time, and keeps their eyes on the overall vision. Their kids all have farm duties including feeding calves, labelling yogurt containers, packaging cheese, throwing and stacking hay bales. Dorota Lockyer handles all social media, website and photography content for Promise Valley. She also does wholesale deliveries, and various other tasks on the farm.
The home farm is 25 acres and they rent 27 acres of cropland to produce winter forage. The cattle are managed according to organic standards which includes pasture access between April 15 and October 15. The cows are fed concentrate in the parlor and are fed pasture, grass silage and grass hay as forage.
The small land base and small herd size might be bucking the dairy industry’s past decades of conventional wisdom about continual expansion, but Mark believes that’s exactly why they’re profitable. “I think small, consumer-facing operations like ours are a key to the future of part of the dairy industry in terms of profitability. Processing our own milk and making value-added products has to be part of the conversation for future producers,” he emphasizes. The couple believes the public wants to see small, accessible farms again, and hope to advocate for other small operations.
Diversity is another part of the plan for their organic farm. In addition to their dairy products, they also sell their own produce, eggs, flowers, and Guernsey milk soap in their store. The store also features items from other local small business, ranging from jams, sugar, honey, and artwork.
They’re determined that their regenerative principles are integrated throughout their operation, and recently transitioned from plastic packaging for their products to a plant-based product manufactured in British Columbia that breaks down and returns to nature in 180 days. They’re one of the first farms in the industry to use biodegradable packaging, and they hope to inspire other operations to transition as well.
Like other Canadian dairy producers, the Nagtegaals are enrolled in ProAction, the mandatory quality control program run by The Dairy Farmers of Canada that ensures that consumers are getting the highest quality milk, that the cows are receiving humane care, and that farmers have traceable, documented record of these high standards. Like organic certification, they admit it’s a lot of paperwork to complete, but they highlight the program to their customers as an example of an industry that cares about both cattle and consumers.
Their outreach to consumers includes an active presence through their Promise Valley Farm website and social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram). The farm store is open Thursdays thru Saturdays each week, and they have hosted regular ‘Open Barn’ days, so that the public can meet the gentle cows that are at the heart of their family business.
Mark is optimistic about the future of their operation, a returning role for smaller dairies in the future, and definitely about breed behind their popular products. “The Guernsey breed seems to be making a bit of a comeback in popularity, and if there is any role we can play in promoting the breed, we will. We believe the main area of interest for the Guernsey breed continues to be with those who are interested in processing and marketing products made with their outstanding milk.”