Monica Cavarsan Revitalizes Australian Dairy with Lard Ass Butter

Monica Cavarsan, raised on her family's dairy farm in Timboon, Victoria, has launched a successful artisanal cultured butter business, Lard Ass Butter, in Ocean Grove, Australia. Her journey began with a 2016 trip to Europe, where she discovered traditional French cultured butter, prompting her to bring similar techniques to Australia.

To gain expertise, Cavarsan completed the Wisconsin Buttermakers Apprenticeship Workshop at the Centre for Dairy Research in the United States, becoming its first international graduate. Upon returning to Australia, she utilized her severance payout to invest in processing equipment, including a professional butter churn, establishing a production facility in Ocean Grove.

Lard Ass Butter has since expanded to include a dedicated butter tasting room, one of the only such facilities in Australia, offering a winery-style experience for visitors. This initiative aims to educate guests on traditional butter fermentation and churning methods.

Cavarsan plans to invest in on-site pasteurization and milk separation capabilities, allowing her to source raw milk directly from her family's Timboon dairy farm. This will enable the production of single-origin cultured butter that emphasizes local terroir and supports her family's agricultural heritage.

In addition to expanding her wholesale and direct-to-consumer sales channels, Cavarsan is set to publish 'The Butter Cookbook' later this year, which will be the first Australian book exclusively dedicated to butter. Her efforts reflect a broader consumer movement towards authentic, slow-crafted dairy foods that celebrate provenance.