08 Nov Meet Ganders Goat

Meet Ganders Goat- a business based in Cottingham which is leading the way with its sustainable business model. Producing goat milk ice cream and natural goat milk soap from their own herd of dairy goats. You can even visit them and walk a goat!

When they took on the farm 10 years ago, it was initially an intensively reared sheep farm, but when they noticed the impact this was having on the biodiversity of the farm, they decided to take a new ‘nature first’ direction and Ganders Goat was born.

The business is very ambitious, with an initial aim to be Net Zero by 2030, they are well ahead of that target which they aim to hit later this year, in 2021 they had sequestered 5 times more carbon than they produced annually, 250 tons CO2e.

They produce 90% of their own green energy using solar panels and are planning a wind turbine to meet the rest of the energy needs. The buildings are heated with a biomass boiler- which is fed by willow grown on site.

Ammonia produced by the goats is absorbed by a willow coppice, the goats are fed the willow, providing enrichment and the stripped wood is used for the biomass boiler.

The younger goats in the fields are grazed using a rotational grazing system which means they are never on the same patch of grass in a year. This method of grazing improves soil health, prevents soil erosion, traps carbon and is increasing the biodiversity of the farm, benefitting wildflowers. Impressively the number of grass species has increased from 6 to 26.

Habitat improvements include a new spring-fed pond and tree planting. The hedgerows are gradually being re-laid which not only makes them stock proof but also benefits wildlife on the farm by creating safe corridors for them to travel. Owl boxes on site have been used by Barn Owls, and last year the farm was home to a pair of nesting Tawny Owls which successfully reared chicks.

Ganders Goat was the first ice cream company in the UK to produce fully compostable ice cream tubs. Going even further, they noticed when they attended events to sell their produce, the tubs were not being recycled, now they plan to collect tubs from events and compost them themselves on site. Where possible their deliveries are zero emission using an electric car.

The other ingredients in their tasty ice cream are gathered on the farm or locally sourced. Produced in small batches they are seasonal working with the seasons. This ensures low food miles. Hives on the farm produce honey for the ice cream!

Their hard work is getting the recognition it deserves. In 2020/21 they were the Silver winner of National Green Business of the year, they were invited to COP26 to share their story as business leaders best managing to set climate change at the head of their business strategy and in 2022 they were Gold award winners for sustainability in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.

Ganders Goat are members of the North Northants Food Networks ‘Full Circle Project’ – a local initiative focused on sustainability and the reduction of food waste.

You can find out more about Ganders Goat here:
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Buy Goat Milk Soap And Ice Cream Made From Goat Milk In Northamptonshire, UK (gandersgoat.com)