High-quality Goat Milk from Shui-Liu Jhuang Farm／來自水流莊牧場的高品質羊奶
High-quality Goat Milk from Shui-Liu Jhuang Farm
◎English translation: Lin Yi-chun
"Shui-Liu Jhuang" is a goat-milk brand produced by Shui-Liu Jhuang Farm in Kaohsiung's Ciaotou District. Some of their regular customers have been enjoying the milk for as long as twenty years. The couple who run the farm, Yang Li-chin and her husband, take care of everything on the farm by themselves, ensuring high-quality goats' milk that customers can trust and enjoy.
The farm's system of herd management is unique. There are 200 goats on the farm, and the barn is well ventilated. The barn's wooden floor is 70cm above ground level so the herd can live in a dry and hygienic environment. Furthermore, the herd is segregated by age and kept separated in various pens. The highly nutrient forage consists of natural items only, such as fresh grass, sweetcorn, soy pulp, corn flour, soy flour, sorghum and wheat bran. The grass and sweetcorn are harvested on the same farm. Because only a very healthy herd raised on natural, healthy forage can produce high quality milk, the animals are given regular health checks to ensure their well-being.
It is not an easy job taking care of dairy goats. Between 5 and 5:30 in the morning, Ms. Yang rushes to the barn to clean the crib and feed the herd before milking. She herds the does down the corridor one pen at a time into the milking area, and every doe has her designated spot. The does' udders swell overnight with milk, and a suction pump is used to draw out the milk and pump it into the tank. Ms. Yang then repeats the procedure with the next group of does. After the milking session, she has to clean the barn. She also has to spend time holding each newborn and bottle-feeding it with goats' milk. These tasks are completed by 10 o'clock in the morning and then repeated at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Ms. Yang says the working hours are long, and the toughest aspect of the job is that it must be done everyday, with no chance of a break for holidays.
Ms. Yang and her family take attentive care of their goats in order to produce top-grade milk. When the milk is poured, a film forms on the surface within seconds. This is natural fat, and has a rich aroma. If consumers prefer not to "eat" the film of fat, they can gently shake the milk from side to side so it dissolves in the liquid.
The main produce from Shui-Liu Jhuang is goats' milk, but the farm has also developed other goat dairy products. The farm is also open to groups of visitors of 15 people or more. Family tours are especially popular as visitors have a chance to feed the goats themselves. Jam-making is another popular program. Ms. Yang says the return rate among those who tour the farm is very high. After seeing and understanding how goats' milk is produced, the customers are satisfied with the quality of the milk and become loyal supporters of the farm. The down-to-earth management of Shui-Liu Jhuang Farm has helped it win a great reputation among consumers and throughout the dairy industry.
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Shui-Liu Jhuang Farm
TEL: 07-2858101
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來自水流莊牧場的高品質羊奶
◎文／侯雅婷
高雄橋頭區「水流莊」牧場自產自銷「水流莊」羊奶品牌，老主顧一喝20年，負責經營的楊麗琴夫妻對牧場每個環節的管理都親力親為，產出讓消費者安心飲用的高品質羊奶。
「水流莊」牧場對羊隻的經營管理讓人豎起大拇指。「水流莊」牧場飼養200頭羊。羊棚通風良好，羊群置於墊高70公分的木製地板，讓羊群生長在乾爽且衛生的環境。此外，羊群分齡管理以柵欄隔開，並用純天然飼料飼養，如牧草、玉米、豆渣、玉米粉、黃豆粉、高粱、小麥麩皮等高營養的飼料，其中牧草和玉米均為牧場自家栽種，以自然、具健康概念的飼料養出最健康的羊，方能產製高品質的羊奶；另外，羊群定期健康檢查，確保健康。
養羊製奶一點也不輕鬆，清晨5點至5點半，楊麗琴就趕忙至羊棚，先清掃飼料槽，讓羊群吃飼料，接著擠乳。楊麗琴將一格柵欄的羊依通道趕進擠乳區，每頭羊有自己固定的位置，每天早上，母羊的乳房已腫成圓球般，套上擠乳器會將羊奶吸吮至儲乳槽，接著換下一批重複擠奶工作，早上擠奶工作結束後，楊麗琴得清洗羊棚，還要撥空抱起一隻隻剛出生的羊寶寶，手拿著奶瓶餵食羊奶，這些繁複的工作約在早上10點會完成，到了下午3點，又得重演一回。楊麗琴很有感觸地表示，養羊工時很長，最辛苦的是每天都得工作，沒有辦法停下來休假。
楊麗琴一家人悉心照料羊群，產製第一等的羊奶，倒一杯羊奶，不消一會工夫，表面上凝結一層膜，這是天然羊奶的脂肪，散發濃郁香味，不敢直接吃到羊奶脂肪的消費者，可將羊奶搖晃片刻，這層膜就會溶在羊奶裏了。
「水流莊」主要產品為羊奶，還開發出優質的羊奶製品，此外，牧場也開放15人以上團體參觀，尤以親子團反應最熱烈，遊客可體驗餵羊，動手製做果醬是另一個受歡迎的課程，楊麗琴開心地透露回客率很高，遊客參觀牧場後，了解所飲用的羊奶來源，對水流莊羊奶品質更加有信心，也成為牧場最堅定的支持者。「水流莊」踏實的經營風格，在消費者和業界樹立好口碑。