About
Buffalo Ridge Farm
Buffalo Ridge is the only water buffalo dairy farm in Southern Africa and the country’s only producer of buffalo mozzarella. Following a growing dissatisfaction with the quality of the mozzarella being sold in South Africa, after many years of research and the quest for obtaining a suitable breeding herd of domestic water buffalo - Buffalo Ridge (brainchild of Wayne Rademeyer and his wife Michelle) was born.
In order to provide an authentic a product as possible, Wayne and Michelle travelled to Campania, Italy - the traditional home of buffalo mozzarella, where they were guests on many of the farms and caseificii (creameries) of founding families of the buffalo mozzarella industry. Wayne produced South Africa’s first buffalo mozzarella in November 2007, and while his farm has gone from strength to strength - the rest as they say, is history.
Buffalo Ridge strongly believes in product authenticity and follows a hands-on approach. Unlike mass-producing cows milk dairy’s, traditional authentic processes at Buffalo Ridge cannot be automated, as that would compromise the flavour, structure and integrity of the product.
Having visited Buffalo Ridge Farm we, the Caprese Trading team can guarantee that the best farming practices are firmly in place. The farming techniques at Buffalo Ridge are based upon natural, environmentally friendly principles.
The milk produced at Buffalo Ridge is not adulterated in any manner and so this carries through to the end products they produce. Buffalo Ridge milk is 100% pure water buffalo milk, as they do not artificially enhance the yield produced by the buffalo.
No pesticides, herbicides, routine medication / antibiotics or ecologically harmful practices are permitted. Unlike in Italy, Wayne’s water buffalo are pasture fed, which promotes the health of the animals and further increases the calcium content in the milk. Currently only two heifers are milked at one time, gently and naturally by hand, ensuring a stress free environment and young calves are fed whole buffalo milk and no milk substitutes, to ensure proper development.
