Spring is in the air! Calves are all over the place!

More cheese news and photos after the jump.

Our experience of spring is likely quite different from yours. We are, you may recall, a seasonal dairy. Our seasonal nature is most seen in the winter, when we don't milk or make cheese. Any number of daily tasks still have to get done but, comparatively speaking, late December marks the beginning of our downtime. This past winter, owners Rick and Helen took a much-deserved break, and escaped to the sunny beaches of Belize for two weeks.

But then, there is the flip side of the seasonal coin, which we're reminded of every spring. Starting in mid-March of every year, all of our ninety-odd cows are due to calve within sixty days. An average of 1.5 calves per day doesn't sound too bad, right?

Something you quickly discover is that cows don't do averages, or schedules for that matter. This year, we only had six calves born in the first week. Ten days later, we had 50. As best we could figure out, the cows were all crossing their legs during that first week. Thankfully, calving season is almost over, with only two or three cows left to calve.

But while it's stressful and demanding, calving does have its benefits -- Jersey calves are unbearably cute!

The beginning of the new milking season also means new cheese to be made. Normally, we're nearly out of cheese by the time we start our cheese year (with the longer aged Mountaineer being the only exception). This year is a first for us -- we've caught up with the demand for Grayson, and still have some late-season wheels available.

The ideal conditions for new cheese are subtly different from those needed for aged cheese, so we're hoping to be out of the last of 2008 Grayson soon. We're offering a special discount on the remaining Grayson. Please contact us to place an order.

The new cheeses are still in the early stages of aging, but have already begun to develop their distinctive orange exterior. Mark the date in your calendars, folks: five weeks from now, you'll have your first chance to sample our new season's cheese.

For now, take a peek at our Spring photo gallery here (opens in new window).

Enjoy.