I am a cheese maker and have been buying cow and goat milk from local farmer for my cheese. I am so happy I will have milk of my own this summer!
Now we are thinking of a miniature Jersey heifer to add to the mix . . . and will need to build some more fences!
Here is a photos of us with our dogs gracie and maybelle who still do not know quite what to do with the little goats hopping around the yard.
I love this website!
Laurie Jenkins
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Just to let you know we are blessed with three gorgeous bucklings out of our Buttercup. They are two days old! You can see a photo on my discussion page and check out the births etc on utube subject northfortyfarm1. We will have atleast one buckling for sale.
Let me know if you want more info.
Laurie
Tracy Fawley said:
We are thrilled that you are interested in a buckling! We think both of our girls are pregnant. Both girls are beauties and the bucks we bred them too also fabulous. Buttercup (tan and whitish) is out of Saturn and Victory Flame (nat grand champion and his last kids). She is a little smaller and wider with amazing teats forming in this pregnancy. Olive is taupe color--a little leaner and taller. She is out of Cinnamon and Mircles. Both girls are from Teri Stanton Pocket Size Goats and you can see the line and photos of everyone on her website.
Buttercup bred to Yuhoo and due 5/28
Olive bred to Zeus (last year's kid from Wandering Moon/PSG) and due 6/11
You can see them in motion on You Tube video (subject Shady Apple Goats)
I will keep you posted.
About chevre . . . I have some sitting on the pellet stove as I write. Think the secret is not heating it too hot before you add the chevre culture (86 degrees max). Using good culture (I used starter from New England Cheesemaking Supply co). On colder days I let my milk sit longer to get max separation of curds and whey. I even let it hand longer in the cheesecloth if it is cold (maybe even 24 hrs) . . . Then I chill, then add salt and form into logs--roll into small logs and into herbs etc . . . Yummmmmm . . . . Good luck.
Laurie
Tracy Fawley said:
Niggies can be very relaxing, even if they aren't sleeping. I was giving the bottle baby his bottle his morning and the whole herd was taking turns coming and getting loves from me. My favorite part of the day.
henny redhouse said:
I started making cheese last summer and have been making cheese every week since then. I have a source for raw sheep milk and made some hard cheese last summer from that (cheddar/montasio/swiss). Then I have made hard goat cheese and cheddar. I also make cheese w/ the cow milk and experiment w/ different breeds of cows to see if it makes a difference w/ yield/flavor etc. My first few hard cheese were attacked by the local mice. Tehn, i got a small wine cooler to keep the hard cheese in while they age. So far the cheese coming out have tasted like chemical mothballs--very dissapointing. So now we have rigged up a tin enclosed area in the root cellar and are hoping for the best.
I made riccotta, just made fromage blanc (delicious in fennel-lemon pasta), make mozzarella every couple of weeks. Make chevre every weekend and sell it to friends, neighbors, family etc. It sells out before it is made. I have been rolling it into logs and then roll in herbs de provence this winter--in summer love to add fresh herbs. Also experimenting w/ different salts. Also make the most delicious yogert . . .
Someday I would love to teach cheesemaking classes--we are working now on turning the second floor of the barn into a kitchen for canning and cheese etc and will have storage for the cheeses. I have several cheesemaking books but have not have time to venture out and try recipes from them. I have had some frustrations w/ understanding the recipes in Ricki's books for the mold-ripened cheeses--have called them for guidance but still not working--so I put the project off until summer when I have more time to figure this stuff out.
All for now . . . our chickens also love the whey too. But it does make the poops a bit of a mess . . . Laurie
Deborah Niemann-Boehle said: