Our passion for camel milk began in Saudi Arabia, where our founder, Walid, was visiting his family in his hometown of Jeddah looking for raw milk. He was approached by a friend with a plastic bag of camel milk that looked “really fresh—and tasted soo good,” Walid recalls. But then he couldn’t find it anywhere in stores—only the Bedouins sold it. Since you can stop a camel herder by the road in Jeddah, it was no big deal to the locals, right? But he fell in love with it and he knew other people would, too.
So when Walid moved to California, he appreciated how people valued a healthy lifestyle. He realized this was the perfect place to start a camel milk company. After selling camel milk at mosques and ethnic food festivals, Walid’s business plan won the Marcia Israel Award from USC, so he decided to leave his corporate real estate position and began his camel adventure.
Having made the big commitment, he went courting the world, trying to spark a Camel Milk Revolution, and found the greatest and most friendly people. While looking for US camel herders, in the Midwest he came across a group known for being polite and down-to-earth, a group who didn’t exist in the Middle East: the wonderful Amish community, who exemplify hard work and cooperation. Watching them work together was and remains awesome to Walid. “Networking through social media just isn’t the same as teaming up with neighbors to build a barn,” he says. “If you ask an Amish farmer why they're successful, don't expect a lot of soul-searching or reflection on what they do right—the Amish will likely pin the praise on anyone else but themselves.” Walid felt that they deserved an easier way to bring their products to market, and he loves the quality of their camel milk!
Desert Farms is now bringing European rural camel farm families’ products to eager consumers in UK and other EU countries. “It’s exciting to bridge gaps between communities that are far apart,” he says. Small start-up companies like Desert Farms can offer real value to customers who care about what’s in and behind their products.
So join us in the Camel Milk Revolution—and thanks to everyone who makes Desert Farms a success!
