Wheyward Goat Cheese

Product Types: Goat cheese: chevre and raw milk feta

About Us
Just out of college I got an apprenticeship working on an organic farm in Ohio that was owned by the National Audubon Society. Aullwood was a teaching farm that had just about every kind of livestock animal there is. It was there that I met and fell in love with Francis, the milk goat. I also became immediately hooked on farming (to the point where when I wasn’t outside working, I was inside reading about it). When I left Ohio, I moved to Sandpoint to work for Greentree Naturals so that I could begin learning how to grow my own food. The next year, Diane Green set me up with Rick and Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut Cheese Co. in Rice, Washington. The Misterly’s were milking 40 goats by hand and making cheese twice a day. I loved everything about them, their farm, and their lifestyle. They continue to be my mentors, and I hope to run a dairy as amazing as theirs one day. I moved from Rice to Bend, OR and worked as the herdswoman for Juniper Grove Farm. After one more farm job in Chelan, WA I felt ready to start my own place. Of all the places I have lived, Sandpoint was always my favorite.

The Wheyward Goat Cheese Company is located at Hoodoo Valley Farm in Vay, ID and sits on 20 acres that backs up to forest service land. It became a certified dairy with the Idaho Department of Agriculture in May of 2009. This year (2010) the herd has 10 does and 2 bucks and 9 doelings, with the hope of slowly growing to a maximum of 40 does. I hope to add 5 more does to the herd this season. All of the goats have names, are milked by hand, and are out on pasture whenever possible. Cheese is made with fresh milk, every other day. When there is not enough grass, they are fed alfalfa and grass hay from local farms. The girls are due to kid the third week of March and fresh cheese should begin appearing the first week of April. This year I will be making chevre and raw milk feta. I hope to one day add hard aged cheeses as well as mild ripened ones.

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Ingredients
The cheese is made from culture, organic vegetarian rennet, salt, and herbs.

Practices (our standards for raising or making our products)
My goal is to run this farm as sustainably and in tune with nature as possible. My girls are like family and always have clean bedding, fresh water, quality food, and lots of love. I do not use antibiotics or hormones and believe that prevention is the best medication.

Additional Information
I would just like to thank my family and friends who have always encouraged me, and who have spent countless hours of their free time helping me build my dream. I wouldn’t be doing this without them.