Some people are born for the land. It seems so for Michalis who is now farming alongside his father, Giannis, on the farm he grew up on this traditional Cretan farm just outside of Rethymno in Crete. Michalis’ father has been producing sheep and goat milk here for 50 years.
We arrive at the farm on a hot summer’s afternoon in early August. Having driven the 20 mins (12km) from Rethymno towards Arkadi, we are ushered up the drive to to the property.
The Farm
This Cretan farm produces a few hundred liters of milk per day from its 300 sheep and 100 goats. It seems fitting then that feeding is our first task of the afternoon. As we feed some of the eager herd, Michalis along with his cousin, Antonis, who is here to help interpret, explain about the food required to keep the herd going. The food also impacts the flavor of the milk and ultimately the milk products. The herd here are fed a mixture of hay and various grains with vitamins added for prime nutrition. This diet produces a more mild flavor milk than grass fed sheep which produce a much stronger flavor milk. The mild milk is ideal for the traditional Greek cheese and dessert products that that are made right here on the farm.
Originally Michalis’ father sold only the milk, however, Michalis and his wife, Matina, have worked to expand the repertoire and now produce feta, tyromalala and a selection of the specialty Cretan dessert creme custard products previously mentioned. They are also planning on expanding the herd with around 120 lambs and 30 kids due in the coming months.
Organically increasing the head count will boost future production and enable Michalis and Matina to increase their product output although this means a lot more work!
Although Giannis, who still oversees the milking today, has moved to machine operations after a lifetime of manually completing the twice a day task, Michalis insists on hand making his cheese and specialty desserts, citing quality over quantity.
Milking
We watch as the sheep and goats line themselves up, encouraged by an extra snack provided in the troughs for this purpose. The machines are turned on and the milking begins. We are shown how to turn on the suction and attach the pumps. We watch as the milk flows from the line up through the pipes and into the container at the end of the row. It then flows to a tank outside where it is collected for storage before the cheese and dessert production begins.
We are encouraged to have a go ourselves. First, we work out how to attach the pumps and then we have a go at hand milking. The four of us manage a couple of hundred milliliters at most in around 10 minutes. Then the master is brought in. Giannis produces around a liter of milk in about 30 seconds! I guess there’s efficiency that comes from all those years of experience.
The Cretan farm has a number of other animals, attractions and activities. Apart from turning our hand to milking and helping to herd and feed the stock there is Bella the cow who is hungry for her dinner; and the chickens, geese, partridges and pigs that all need to be fed and cared for.
Lulu, Hera (after the goddess), and a number of cats laze around in the sun seemingly more content with their immediate food situation.
We have a short tour of the other crops – corn, grapes, figs, pomegranate, a vine producing giant pumpkins and some herbs. After a couple of hours feeding all the animals, milking and checking out the country garden, we enter the cheese kitchen.
The Products
Matina already has the milk on the burner heating up to just the right temperature. We watch on after taking the required health and safety precautions as the other ingredients are measured and the cheese comes into being.
Once it is prepared it is strained and put into the molds, a task that can take two people. We taste some of the finished product, previously prepared, while we are watching the making of this new batch. We also try some of the heavenly dessert varieties from those that were freshly prepared this morning. Tomorrow morning after they have settled they will be packed and dispatched by Michalis with his personalized delivery service.
In addition to hand making the farm’s products, Michalis and Matina rise early each morning to make daily deliveries to local delicatessens and specialty shops in Rethymno and Heraklion.
Insisting that the products remain a local specialty, due in particular to the delicate nature of the creme desserts, which are ruined if handled too roughly. The importance of quality to Michalis is evident from the fact that he even insists on stacking the desserts in the fridges at the delis himself to ensure the product is not mishandled and unduly disturbed.
After all the work, milking, learning about the products and the processes, ways of the farm and, of course, feeding the animals, we too are hungry.
Dinner
During the time we have been doing all this, Michalis’ mum Angela, and Matina have been busy in the kitchen and we are welcomed for a meal. Everything is either grown on the farm or produced and sourced locally. Even the Cretan specialty of snails (cooked in wine & garlic) come from the back yard!
The table is laid beautifully, and, after a hot afternoon we are quickly poured a shot of raki. This quickly revives my energy (or at least rouses my attention) in time for dinner.
The other delicious home made delights include spinach pie, stuffed baked tomatoes and peppers, sausage and omelette. And of course Greek salad and dakos, the local version of bruschetta, accompanied by another shot or two of raki.
By the time dessert is laid out, fresh sweet cheese pies (myzithropitakia – I don’t even try to pronounce it! ) drizzled with honey and fruit, I am fit to burst.
We talk about the history of the farm and the products some more over dinner. We exchange information and stories about Crete, Australia and Dubai.
By now it is getting late. Giannis and Angela live here but Michalis and Matina must get home to their two small boys. As the sun starts to set we will need to work on settling our own two down. I has been an exciting afternoon of activities, with all those friendly animals and most of all, new found friends.
Good To Know
We were lucky enough to have had a private tour experience. Michalis and Matina are passionate about their farm and its products and run regular tours assisted by Antonis who helps with the interpretations (Greek to English in our case). You can experience their traditional Cretan farm (see Airbnb Experience for bookings) and make some new friends.
Would I Return?
Yes. There are always sheep to be milked and desserts to be eaten!
