I recently discovered a slew of relatives I didn’t know I had, members of the extended — and far-flung — Kornmehl clan. That my newfound family includes doctors, bankers and even a retired butcher is no huge surprise. But the goat farmers in Israel… them, I didn’t expect.
According to the Kornmehl Goat Farm website:
Anat and Daniel Kornmehl, both graduates of the Faculty of Agricultural Science, Hebrew University, created the Kornmehl farm in October 1997. Daniel Kornmehl acquired his experience as a cheese maker in Israel and in France. Daniel places emphasis on keeping traditional values of cheese making, while adapting them to the local environment. He creates cheeses that are personal interpretations of famous French varieties.
The farm is located on a Bronze Age agricultural site in the Negev, the sparsely populated desert that extends over Israel’s south, accounting for more than half of the country’s land. It’s funny to think of the Israeli versions of Camembert and Brie being created here.
But the goats don’t seem out of place:
How cute are those baby goats? And, according to the site:
Anat and Daniel believe that the health of their goats and the quality of their milk, antibiotic and hormone free, comes from the permanent attention that they give to the goats’ living conditions and good food.
The goats are milked twice a day in the milking parlor and then the milk is transferred to the dairy that was built by the couple.
Milking parlor, indeed!
But wait, there’s more. There is a little restaurant associated with the Kornmehl Farm, and it got excellent reviews on TripAdvisor:
This place is wonderful and delicious and authentic. The menu is small but that’s a good thing because you will want to try one of everything, which we did and were not disappointed with a single item! As an added benefit we were entertained during our meal by the farm’s baby goats playing (free and unpenned) up and down the hills outside the window. This is a must-do stop on the road south to Ramon or Eilat.
Hmm. Anat and Daniel Kornmehl are restaurateurs and animal lovers who live in the desert. I’m a food writer and, until recently, pet blogger who lives in the desert.
Maybe the family connection isn’t so far-fetched after all.
Now that you’ve found a far-flung Israeli goat farm in your family, a Highland salmon run isn’t beyond the realm of possiblity…I’m just waiting to find out that we’re related! (But I have to admit that none of my supposed ancestors were known for their haute cuisine or hospitality.)
Seriously, though, I’m amazed that you’ve discovered so many fascinating connections so quickly, Google or no Google. I’m looking forward to reading about each of the relatives who have agreed to make appearances here.
Thanks, Clare — and welcome! I’d bet there are less than six degrees of separation and that Scotch is somehow involved. I can’t say that the goat farmers agreed to make an appearance — I just notified them after the fact — but figured that, being a business, they wouldn’t mind.
Can’t argue with destiny. When are you adopting your first goat?
Soooo tempting — but I think Frankie would have a problem with a goat. We actually pass a place that has goats in the yard fairly often and he doesn’t seem keen on going near it (oddly enough, he doesn’t seem to mind horses).
Fabulous! I wish I had known about your family’s goat farm the last time Ira and I were in Israel. The next time we’er there—maybe next spring, early summer—we are definitely paying a visit to your relative’s goat farm. With all this great publicity we’ll probably need reservations at the restaurant well in advance 😉 Are you going to Israel anytime soon?
I hadn’t planned on a trip to Israel but there are research materials that might be helpful and those goats are awfully sweet, aren’t they? Not to mention it would be nice to meet some of these relatives… Do let me know before you go.
Research is a great reason to go to Israel. I certainly will let you know if we go. And, yes, those baby goats, even the adult goats, are very, very sweet.
You may be surprised to learn that I adore goats. I went on a hike once with goats as pack bearers. They also turned out to be Jewish mothers, worrying about me because I wasn’t keeping up. One in particular kept coming back to check on me and nudge me along. On your way to Austria, you’re going to have to stop by the goat farm in the Negev.
I *am* surprised! I haven’t had the close encounter with goats that you did; they sound very sweet. I will have to figure out how to get to Austria via Israel.
Goats with Cocker Spaniel/Bassett Hound ears! What’s not to love?? They look happy, goatin’ around. What a delightful surprise for you to discover so many relatives after believing that your family was teeny tiny. Your new website has a lovely design, and the writing, as always, is very entertaining. Keeping digging Edie!
I know, right?! Thanks for coming by, Cynthia, and thanks for the encouraging words. Yes, I plan on playing terrier for this blog and doing a lot of digging.
Encounters with the goat farm and cheese company have given us name recognition…people frequently ask if we are related. Our shared family is very interesting and your readers will be delighted to know that there are many more fascinating Kornmehls that will be highlighted in your future blogs. Stay tuned…
Who would think that a goat farm in the Negev was so famous! It’s funny, I never identified with the name Kornmehl until recently — it was always Jarolim or Rosenbaum, my grandfather’s name on my mother side, but my great uncles were unknowns since I never met them and my mother never talked about them by last name. And yes, soon Nathan Kornmehl will be highlighted, thanks to you, Jill.
Are those Nubian Goats? That breed of goat would certainly be a good fit with the desert climate of Israel. Love the baby goats, but I’ll give the cheese a pass. Not a fan of the milk which my Mom tried to get me to drink when I was a kid.
They are indeed Nubian goats and, according to a site I just checked, milk from Nubian goats is very very good for you, much better than cow’s milk (so your mom meant well — as did mine, who encouraged me to drink cow’s milk even though, as it turned out, I was lactose intolerant). I have no problem with the all kinds of cheese though you can’t get me near a glass of milk, so you might be surprised at the taste if you ever find yourself at a goat cheese farm.
What a great discovery. Animals seem to be a red thread in your family, wherever they are scattered to.
Yes, it is, isn’t it. I’d love to see the goat farm someday. Who knew the animal connection went so far?
[…] Kornmehl and his wife, Anat, are proprietors of a goat cheese farm in the Negev, profiled here. I don’t have pictures of them, but you can click on the link to see more of their […]
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