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![]( "The Feete Family from left: Kat, Rick, Helen, and Jim.")
Meadow Creek Dairy is a family farm in the mountains of southwest Virginia. At an elevation of 2800ft, the combination of pure water, clean air and deep soils produce an ideal environment for growing diverse, mineral-rich pastures.
Since 1980, farming has been our craft. We have worked closely with our Jersey herd to give them the best care, develop the genetics best adapted to our farm, and in the process produce the highest quality milk. Now we take our craft to its next level, providing you with a full flavored, healthy, ecologically friendly cheese.
Farmstead Cheeses are...
"... cheeses made by hand on the farm with only milk produced on that farm, so that the cheese reflects the specific local character of one farm and one herd." Will Studd, Chalk and Cheese
We practice sustainable farming methods, managing the land and cattlefor health rather than high production. Our primary tool to achieve this goal is intensive grazing management. This involves giving our cattle fresh grass every day; they are not allowed back on the pasture already grazed, allowing the grass to regrow and preventing overgrazing. We use no herbicides or pesticides on our land. Our only crop is grass. We are therefore able to provide excellent nutrition for the dairy herd while improving the health and fertility of our land.
Our milking season begins in late March when all calves are born coinciding with the grass growth. The cattle are never confined, but instead are born and raised on pasture. The cows graze a diverse mixture of perennial grasses and legumes supplemented with some grains, salt and Norwegian kelp. In the fall, when the grass growth wanes, the cows begin to wind down their milk production. Christmas Eve is the last day of the milking season and the beginning of a two month rest for the cows and our family. We avoid routine use of hormones or antibiotics by constantly monitoring our herd's health. We work toward developing and selecting cows with a healthy immune system.
The taste of our cheeses reflects the diverse pastures and soils of our region. We have created a variety of unique cheeses to showcase our herd's quality milk. We use only fresh, unpasteurized milk from our own Grade A dairy. Starter culture and rennet are added to form a curd. The curd is cut and manipulated according to the variety, thenmoves on to the pressing table. Our craft continues in the aging rooms where our cheeses are hand tended. We carefully pick cheese for sale only when flavor has reached its peak.
We are a licensed and inspected cheese plant. Our milk is routinely tested by the Commonwealth of Virginia and has consistently proven to be of excellent quality.
"Cheese, like the great wines of the world, is the result of a unique combination of the soil, climate, grazing, the farmer and his animals." Juliet Harbutt, The Guide to the finest Cheeses of Britain and Ireland
Our original cheeses are patterned on traditional European techniques, carefully adapted to our farm. Cheesemaking follows the milking season, with production beginning in April and ending in November. The seasonal nature of our farm leads to variations in our spring, summer, and fall cheeses.
All of our cheeses are made from raw milk and naturally aged, eliminating the need for preservatives or artificial colorings. The unique yellow color that many customers comment on is due to the high levels of beta carotene in the milk from our Jersey cattle.
We ship via UPS to anywhere in the United States. As shipments must be timed to avoid the weekends, we ship Monday through Wednesday only. Shipments to the West Coast require 2 or 3 day select shipping.
Though properly aged cheese does not spoil, there are a few simple precautions that can help to keep cheese from deteriorating in flavor. Cheese should be stored in the refigerator wrapped in waxed paper or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, then removed from its wrapping and allowed to reach room temperature before it is eaten. It will take an hour or two for a cheese to reach room temperature. Frequently there will be a strong aroma to the cheese caused by our natural rinds, but it will dissipate quickly once the cheese is unwrapped. Occasionally mold will form on a cheese, but this is natural and does not indicate spoilage. Simply cut off the mold and throw it away.
We thank you for your support of family farming and agriculture through the purchase of our products. |
