Sometimes a craving for something can last for hours, settling somewhere deep and laying in wait until properly fulfilled.
When a craving like that strikes, it’s less like wanting something than being haunted by it.
One day, Punita Patel, Palm Valley resident and owner of Backyard Buffalo micro dairy, had just that sort of peculiar hankering, one she couldn’t shake.
“I don’t like American tea,” Patel said. “I couldn’t figure out why it was so different from Indian tea. That’s where it started,” she said of her business, “because I wanted a good cup of tea.”
As it goes, the special ingredient to great Indian tea isn’t the leaves, but the milk. Specifically, water buffalo milk, a common dairy ingredient to many Indian food staples, such as khoa, paneer, ghee and shrikhand, which is a yogurt-like product that Backyard Buffalo specializes in.
Currently, there is only one other water buffalo farm in Florida and only a handful in the U.S. For Patel, this meant a lot of work for a decent cup of tea.
Patel started Backyard Buffalo three years ago with no prior experience, having worked in the non-profit sector prior to moving to Ponte Vedra Beach.
“I didn't know how to milk the buffaloes,” Patel said. “I didn't know anything about buffalos and I've never seen them up close. So, to bring a buffalo in my backyard was super intimidating.”
Today, the farm houses eight buffalo, with three currently producing milk. Patel’s first and favorite, Goldie, recently had her first calf born on the farm. Each morning, Patel wakes up early for a milking, where she acquires only about 2.5 gallons—much less than a typical dairy cow, which produces around 8 gallons per day.
Patel did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions before starting Backyard Buffalo. The farming community accepted her with open arms. As hard as the work is, Patel said she has found it incredibly rewarding. She soon learned that there are few buffalo farms in the United States because the yield per animal is low. With low profit margins, the milk doesn’t take well to an American industrial setting. According to Patel, the product, however, is worth the effort.
Buffalo milk is typically creamier and thicker than cow milk, having less water content. It has a mild, sweet flavor that is often described as richer than regular milk. Patel said that is because buffalos deliver a more “concentrated” version of milk for their babies, which has more minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium per ounce.
A water buffalo milking involves somewhat of a pampering hand. Without the cosset of a familiar face and routine, they will “pull the milk,” meaning, hold the milk from leaving the udder. Patel utilizes a gentle touch with the aid of some delicious barley she acquires from Green Room Brewery after leftover craft beer production. While the buffalo munch away, they let down their teats and Patel fashions on an automatic stainless-steel pump that smoothly sips out the milk with a whirling electric purr. The process usually takes two to three hours.
From that, Patel pasteurizes and creates an array of unique products, which she sells at farmers markets to an increasingly ravenous crowd. Because her yield is so low and her farm small, she is currently “breaking even,” although selling out of product every week. Shrikhand, her “yogurt” product is becoming increasingly popular, however. Her sweet, creamy version is often accompanied with lemon or mango puree and flavored with cardamom and nutmeg. It’s a style that hails from her hometown in Gujarat, India.
“I wasn’t sure how it would sell in this market,” Patel said. On a whim, “I took some to the farmer’s market and it was a sell-out, a hit from day one. That’s when I realized, this is it.”
These days, Patel said people are coming back, specifically looking for shrikhand, and finding themselves disappointed when she is out. Unfortunately for them, Patel owns the entire market for buffalo milk shrikhand in the United States.
“People come craving it,” Patel said. “They have to wait until next week.”
They usually do.
Backyard Buffalo can be found at Beaches Green Market at Jarboe Park in Neptune Beach on Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. To learn more about Backyard Buffalo, visit their Facebook page or website at www.backyardbuffalo.com.
