Links and News

Press Releases

THE WOODSTOCK WATER BUFFALO COMPANY TAPS NEW CEO, DAVID I. RACHLIN
Former Unilever-Ben & Jerry’s International Leader Aims to Build Unique, Super-Premium Dairy Brand.

SOUTH WOODSTOCK, Vt. (October 3, 2006) – How do you milk a water buffalo? “I’m told my first milking assignment already has been posted – in bold ink, underlined and with two exclamation points – on my first week’s schedule at the dairy,” jokes David I. Rachlin, the newly tapped president and chief executive officer of The Woodstock Water Buffalo Company.

Read the press release
Please Note: The pdf reader is required, download it for free.

Information About Water Buffalo and Water Buffalo Husbandry

Water Buffalo: An Asset Undervalued

Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. October 2000.

A pamphlet providing excellent basic information about water buffalo, and explaining that water buffalo are often easier to maintain and, for many purposes, superior to cattle. The pamphlet also documents the decline of water buffalo in Thailand and other Asian countries due to poor management and increased demand for water buffalo meat, and outlines strategies for promoting the future survival of the animals.

Read the pamphlet: http://www.aphca.org/publications/files/w_buffalo.pdf
Please Note: The pdf reader is required, download it for free.

"Water Buffalo"

Written by Barry Lemcke; published by the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (a government-funded Australian organization for funding and promoting agricultural research and development).

Part of a larger eBook titled The New Rural Industries: A Handbook for Farmers and Investors, ed. by Keith Hyde. December 1997.This online pamphlet is a brief instruction manual for farmers and investors interested in learning more about water buffalo husbandry and the economics of raising water buffalo for meat. Written by the Principal Livestock Management Officer for the Northern Territory in Australia and aimed primarily at Australian farmers, the pamphlet nevertheless provides information that is relevant to North America as well.

Read the pamphlet: http://www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/handbook/waterbuff.pdf

Water Buffalo – Many Aspects, One Animal

(Part of the India Dairy Industry website, a site devoted to promoting the dairy industry in India, the world’s largest producer of dairy products.)

This page on the India Dairy Industry website provides a useful overview of the milk, meat, and work capacities of the water buffalo, as well as information about potential for breed development and possible economic applications of water buffalo products and labor.

Full article: http://www.indiadairy.com/info_buffalo_milk.html

Profiles of Star Hill Dairy and Its Contribution to Diversifying the Economy of Vermont’s Agricultural Sector

"Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese in Vermont" (4.10 minutes - Audio File)
by Ari Shapiro, NPR's Day To Day, October 3, 2003

NPR's Ari Shapiro reports on one man's dream to revitalize Vermont's dairy industry by bringing in water buffaloes and creating a new high-end cheese.

Audio Interview: NPR : Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese in Vermont

"Vermont Mozzarella Report" (5:00 minutes - Audio File)
by Matthew Bell, The World (a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston), October 1, 2003

When Americans hear the word "buffalo," they tend to think "bison." But much of the rest of the world thinks "water buffalo." Water buffalo are found throughout Asia, in southern Europe, in Central and South America, but not in large numbers here in the United States. The World's Matthew Bell however met a Vermont farmer who's trying to change that.

Listen to the full audio interview (file size: 1.3 mb; windows media)

"A Taste of Italy, Via Vermont"
By Elizabeth Mehren, Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2003

Recently, dairy scientist [Paul] Kindstedt stopped by Muller's farm to check on the mozzarella progress. He said the surprise sight of water buffaloes grazing on hillsides made famous by Robert Frost adds to the value of Muller's undertaking.

"Tourism is crucial to our economy in Vermont," he said. "And this effort presents an absolute synergy between agriculture and tourism."

Muller agreed.

"Everyone knows about Vermont and maple syrup," he said. "Why can't it be just as well-known for water buffalo?"

An LA Times journalist reports on the origins, economics, and future of Star Hill Dairy, and the potential impact of water buffalo on the Vermont economy.

Full Article: http://www.starhilldairy.com/latimes-full-article.shtml

"By the Horns"
by Lee Ann Cox, Vermont Quarterly, Spring 2003

Star Hill Dairy's David Muller is on a mission to introduce Americans to the glory of fresh mozzarella cheese and sees promise in the market for other Vermont farmers. "We could be buffalo central," Muller says.

A profile of some high-quality Vermont artisan food producers and how they’re helping to transform Vermont’s agricultural and economic landscape.

Full Article: http://www.uvm.edu

"Vermont Entrepreneur Touts Water Buffalo for Dairy Industry"
by Sarah Schweitzer, The Boston Globe, Knight-Ridder Tribune, February 13, 2003 (reprinted in Animal Net, February 13, 2003)

David Muller, New England's water buffalo impresario, was quoted as saying, "There are 155 million water buffalo in the rest of the world and almost none in the United States. Clearly, that says something."

What it says, Muller asserts, is that the rest of the world has caught on to the favorable economics of water buffalo, whose milk has higher butterfat content than cows' and can be used to make high-end cheeses and yogurt that command better prices than those produced with cows' milk.

A brief article about the appearance of water buffalo on the Vermont scene and the favorable economics of water buffalo husbandry.

"$939,000 VEDA Loan Will Help One-Of-A-Kind Dairy Operation"
Agriview Online (February 1, 2003, Vol. 67, Number 3)

VEDA Manager Jo Bradley is optimistic that the project could present an opportunity for other Vermont farmers to diversify their operations as buffalo milk commands a much higher price in the market than cow's milk…

Muller agrees, adding that he believes the potential market for water buffalo milk products could support the revitalization of 50 to 100 Vermont family farms over the next decade.

Full Article: http://www.vermontagriculture.com

"Nicer Than Cows: Chemist Brings Water Buffalo to Vermont"
by Heather Schroeder, Currents (Cornell University Alumni Magazine Online), May-June 2003, Vol. 105, No. 6.

Muller has turned his love of the gourmet treat into a business venture by founding Star Hill Dairy on a Vermont farm he bought three years ago. In March, he began producing buffalo yogurt, a thick, fluffy concoction that more closely resembles cheesecake than conventional yogurt. And this summer, he'll begin making fresh buffalo mozzarella, which he calls far smoother and creamier than the "rubbery, stringy" cheese derived from cow's milk. "In Italy, unless it's made with buffalo milk, it can't be called mozzarella," says Muller, whose products will be sold through a New Jersey distributor that has pledged to buy as much as he can produce.

What gourmands are saying about Woodstock Water Buffalo products

"Restaurant Openings and Buzz – Milking It"
NewYorkMetro.com, week of April 28, 2003

Available in plain, maple, and honey flavors, Woodstock yogurt has a richness and creaminess reminiscent of the European-style strained yogurt that’s become so popular on the gourmet-shop circuit.

Full Article: http://metronewyork.com

"A Vermont Cheese Course: A Tour of Dairies Is a Tasty Education in Artisans' Craft"
by Clare Innes, Boston.com Travel, July 29, 2003

A correspondent who was pleasantly surprised by the unexpected friendliness of the water buffalo writes, "I also would not expect to taste some of the finest yogurts I've set a spoon to, made from the milk of those same buffalo."

An article in the Boston Globe travel section that features several artisan cheese makers in Vermont, including Star Hill Dairy.

Full Article: http://www.boston.com

What Local Retailers are Saying About Woodstock Water Buffalo

"Water Buffalo: Around the World and in Vermont"
Co-Op News, Hanover and New Lebanon, NH

"The Educated Eater" praises water buffalo milk as "rich in flavor" and notes that it "commands a high price" on the retail market.

Full Article: http://www.coopfoodstore.com

"Producer Spotlight"
Co-Op News, Hanover and New Lebanon, NH

This summer, two Italian cheesemakers are sharing their skill with Star Hill staff to bring fresh mozzarella cheese to market in September.
Woodstock Yogurt is now available in the Co-op’s dairy aisle. A water buffalo calf will be at Harvest Festival on September 20!

Full Article: http://www.coopfoodstore.com

back to top | print view