Chances are you’ve had plenty of cheddar, swiss, gouda cheese, but have you ever given goat cheese a fair shot? The Four’s Madison Gardner made her way to Northport to visit Idyll Farms. A goat farm and creamery that takes home countless awards each year from the American Cheese Society Awards Banquet. This year alone they were given ten awards which surpassed other goat cheesemakers in this competition.
They pride themselves on being apart of every aspect of the process– from pasture to creamery. “Our alpine goats are pasture-fed through managed intensive rotational grazing, which is great for our pastures and our goats,” says Cheesemaker and Farm Manager Melissa Hiles. There are 200 goats that are milked each morning. This is usually a 2.5 hour process. “From there the milk gets pumped up through these lines goes into the vault tank room behind that door and sits in a tank for 48 hours and then process it in the creamery which is about another 20 feet over,” explains Hiles.
After the milk is pasturized it can be ladled into forms. Melissa Hiles says, “Just take nice solid curds and and set it up on the table here and let it drain for a day.”
Each cheese has a different purpose. Some turn to spreads some are aged. If they are aged they head to the aging cave where they will sit for 8-12 days.
Last but not least is arguably the best part– tasting the cheese and talking with the owner, Amy Spitznagel! The Four’s Madison Gardner tried Honey Lavender Goat Cheese.
If you want more information or would like to try this goat cheese for yourself,
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