Since the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s, there have been no dairy farms in Cambodia.
Several large Western companies have tried to start dairy operations in the country, but all have failed. So most dairy products are imported from Thailand, Vietnam or Japan, and instead of fresh milk, Cambodians drink the powdered variety.
But an Alpine family is on a mission to bring fresh milk to Cambodia and make some new friends in the process. This is the story of Moo Moo Farms.
Bill and Jamie Matthews originally moved their family to southeast Asia several years ago when Bill Matthews was given an FBI assignment at the embassy in Bangkok. His son, Kenny, graduated from high school in Thailand and then served an LDS mission in Cambodia.
Following his mission, Kenny Matthews moved back to Cambodia for an internship. When he relayed to his family the fact that there were no dairies in the country, it sparked an idea for his father. Bill Matthews has been fascinated by dairy farms since childhood, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get involved with an exciting project that would benefit the people of Cambodia.
As with any business venture, this has been a major challenge for the Matthews family. In addition to the usual hurdles that threaten a startup, they’ve also had to negotiate the intricacies of operating in a foreign country.
“It was difficult complying with Cambodia’s business regulations and finding bottles for the milk,” Bill Matthews said. “Then there was the process of importing our cows. Dealing with the regulations and boarder requirements between two countries with live animals is very time-consuming and difficult. And when a part breaks or when we need certain supplies, there is no dairy store we can run to. As a result, even simple things like dairy feed is a challenge.”
Despite the difficult road, Moo Moo Farms is now operational and the Matthews family is currently milking 25 cows. The dairy processes, pasteurizes, bottles and distributes fresh milk to more than a dozen locations throughout Phnom Penh.
And the response from the locals has been phenomenal.
“The Cambodians love Moo Moo Farms because it is their country’s first dairy,” Bill Matthews said. “When they taste the milk, they have great national pride that Cambodia is now producing milk that tastes better and is more healthy than the imported milk.”
From his many years living in the country, Kenny Matthews speaks fluent Cambodian and is the dairy’s official spokesman. He does regular interviews and nearly all the national television stations and news outlets have visited Moo Moo Farms for video and print features.
The Cambodian government has also given positive feedback. Bill Matthews said that they have been invited to meet with several government ministers who want to lend support to the dairy.
One of the Matthews’ favorite aspects of the job is seeing children taste fresh milk for the first time. This often occurs when they do promotions at stores in Phnom Penh and offer free samples.
“The children drink it like it is candy or melted ice cream,” Bill Matthews said. “The children will stand in front of the display counter and drink cup after cup, which makes me feel good. Many of the Cambodian schools are actually scheduling field trips and bringing their children to the farm. These children have never seen dairy cows, so we let them feed the calves bottles and even try milking a cow. They get so excited. When they leave, we give them a free bottle of milk.”
Now that the Matthews family has been able to get Moo Moo Farms operational, they’re meeting with investors and discussing expansion. They are also adding a humanitarian side to their efforts, with plans to donate fresh milk to rural elementary schools.
“We have developed a love for the Cambodian people and it brings us happiness to help them with a healthy food product,” Bill Matthews said.
To learn more about Moo Moo Farms and see photos, you can visit the Facebook page.
Source: KSL
