Cheese

  • Our cheese is made from the milk of our six jersey cows
  • Summer is "time off" for the cows. They graze and enjoy the sun.
  • We practice "rotational grazing" so our cows get new pastures every 2 days.
  • Even in the autumn there is plenty to eat.
  • Calves, always curious.
  • Feeding time, Marjorie feeding June.
  • A new born baby.
  • Baby Wizard
  • In the winter cows are fed a beautiful hay made up of clover and grass.
  • Our cows are milked twice a day November through May.
  • Jersey cows give the best milk for cheesemaking and they are very gentle.
  • Cheesehouse. We built the cheese house in 1982
  • Milk Room - getting ready to pump milk from the barn to the cheese room.
  • Cheeseroom - we make cheese twice a week from November to May
  • Clean break test - after rennet is added, Marjorie checks firmness of curd pre cutting.
  • Cutting the curds. Curd is cut horizontally.
  • From 1000 pounds of milk, we get about 130 pounds of cheese.
  • Curds and whey - When first cut, the curds are very soft... they get firmer during cooking.
  • Whey and curds.
  • Cooking the curds - the curds are constantly stirred while the temp is slowly raised.
  • Filling the molds - After draining the whey, curds are put in the molds.
  • Weighing - The filled molds are weighed.
  • Into the Press - The curd is pressed to give it it's wheel shape, and to expel more whey
  • Waxing - Cheeses are waxed one week after production with a special cheese wax.
  • Our waxed cheese makes a great grilled cheese sandwich.
  • Waxed Cheese - Each cheese is stamped with the date of production.
  • Cheese Cooler - We make about 6000 pounds of cheese a year.
  • Cheese Cave - Produces a naturally rined cheese aged for at least a year.
  • The cheese has a nutty, complex taste and is drier then the waxed cheese.
  • Cheese Cave - The cave temp is 54 degrees and has high humidity.
  • Cheese Cave - The cheese is made in two and ten pound wheels.
  • and are stamped with the batch number.
  • Each cheese is brushed and turned twice a week.