|
LearnToMakeCheese.com
We are Artisan Cheesemakers. We could talk about
cheese til the cows come home. Just ask us and you'll get an ear full. Some may call it braggin, we just
consider it pride. River Valley Cheese started with the simple notion of Build It & They Will Come and boy have yall!!! When
we started in 2005, there weren't many licensed cheesemakers in Washington state. Not to mention any who could afford
to give us the time of day and let us see their milking parlors, processing rooms or aging facilities. Who could blame
em? They're busy milking their herd, trimming hoofs, making sure anyone who is in heat is bred, and so
on......
Our story is not too different from anyone else, we loved cheese.
Sounds simple enough, right? Yakity, Yak......literally (Yes, we have Yak too). In hindsite, we agree the "making
it from scratch" idea got a little out of hand. Not only did we invest in a herd of Brown Swiss cows, Water Buffalo,
Tibetian Yak, Fresian Sheep and every breed (yes, I said every) breed of dairy goat, we had to learn animal husbandry and
everything it takes to care for them. That set back our cheesemaking learning curve slightly. You can't make cheese
without milk and you can't milk a cow (goat, sheep, water buffalo, yak) if you don't know how.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't just wake up, have your coffee, sit a spell and then
mosey down to the barn where the cow is patiently standing in the milk parlor with teats clean, waiting for you to massage
her udders. Easy to poke fun now! There simply weren't enough hours in the day. Not sure if you understand,
we are (were) city slickers. Not a farm folk in our whole family tree. Passion and determination can get tricky
sometimes, kinda like a stubborn mule. It sinks its teeth into you and there's no stopping it. We didn't see the
obstacles, just the prize. A buttery tasting, slicable raw milk cheese! I remember the very day when we decided to get serious and become licensed. Boy were we nieve!!!
Artisans
today don't have to reinvent the wheel. We can help. We understand the equipment it will take, the licensing
process and where the product can be sold. Proud members of the Washington
State Cheesemaker Association and the American Cheese Society. We have worked hard, way to hard...... following our
passion making cheese.
|
