The Ultimate Cheese Guide for Animal Lovers: Volume West

photos from Stepladder Ranch (left) and Point Reyes Farmstead (right)

Vegan "cheese" can go fake itself.

Bringing together cute, fuzzy animals and real, delicious cheese.

Fellow cheese addicted animal loving friends, I understand your struggle, which is why I give you this: in honor of artisan cheeses and in honor of all the animal moms residing on our small family farms, here’s a slideshow of what is surely the ultimate cheese guide for animal lovers, starting with our dairies in the West. Wonderful, award-winning fromage, made by our fabulous Western state dairy farmers and their family of cows, buffaloes, goats, and sheep. ENJOY. And stay tuned for my next volume!

meet the party at Harley Farms

"Harley Farms is a restored 1910 dairy farm, with 200 alpine goats on nine acres of pasture in Pescadero, California." - Harley Farms

Harley's Chevre

"We are well known for our chevre gorgeously decorated with flower petals. You can eat these petals!" - Harley Farms

a closer look at Harley's Chevre (you're welcome!)

"We pasteurize the chevre and fromage blanc at the lowest possible temperature.. " "This way, we retain a relatively high nutritional content. The whey drains from the curd for two days, producing our classically fresh, consistently award-winning cheeses." - Harley Farms

Harley's girl

"The success of our cheese reflects the health of our animals and pasture, the diligence of our longstanding staff, and the beauty of our tranquil coastal location." - Harley Farms

meet the ladies of Nicasio Valley

"Organic, farmstead, artisan cheese handcrafted in Nicasio, California using authentic, traditional recipes from the alpine village of our ancestral homeland, Maggia, Switzerland." - Nicasio Valley Cheese

Nicasio's Foggy Morning

"Our most honored cheese. Four time national award winner. In 2015, Foggy Morning was named the Best Fromage Blanc style cheese made in North America." - Nicasio Valley Cheese

Nicasio's Square

"Winner of numerous State, National, Good Food Award and a Top 5 finisher in its’ class at the World Cheese Championship." - Nicasio Valley Cheese

Nicasio Valley

"Proudly, we are a pasture-based ranch. This means roughly 120 days per year our milk cows derive a large part of their diet from the grass growing in our pastures. We utilize rotational grazing methods to insure the grass is used to the greatest benefit." - Nicasio Valley Cheese

Nicasio's Fondue

Made with Nicasio's Reserve and San Geronimo. The full recipe is on Nicasio's Facebook photos.

meet Sprinkles and her friends at Quillisascut Farm

"We started out with a bare piece of ground; gradually over time we built a home, a farmstead, a cheese business and a school to share our love for all things farm to table." - Quillisascut Farm

Quillisascut's Blue

Quillisascut Farm

"Our greatest discovery is that the best seasoning for both a delicious meal and a splendid life is to share with friends." - Quillisascut Farm

Quillisascut's Ash Tomme

"Using only the milk from [our] own herd of goats, [we] produce a variety of aged raw milk cheese." - Quillisascut Farm

meet the girls at Surfing Goat Dairy

"As you weave your way out of the sugarcane fields lining the slopes of Maui’s Haleakala volcano, you come upon the lush green pastures of the Surfing Goat Dairy, Hawaii’s only award-winning caprine operation." - Surfing Goat Dairy

Surfing Goat's Flavored Chevre

"Proudly served during the 2009 Inauguration festivities for President Obama." - Surfing Goat Dairy

Surfing Goat's Canada

"A delicious medley of goat cheese, cranberries, honey and cinnamon." "... offered from November through February, most years." - Surfing Goat Dairy

Surfing Goat Dairy

"... located on 42 acres with almost two-thirds dedicated as pasture, giving the Dairy’s three bucks and over 100 does plenty of space to roam and forage." - Surfing Goat Dairy

bonus: Surfing Goat also makes Truffles!

"... we have won 18 National Awards for 18 different cheeses. The selection of the best available equipment and ingredients are an important factor for that. When we decided to make [truffles], we did the same: researching the best equipment, best ingredients, and the best way to make them." Surfing Goat Dairy

meet Aaron and his girls at Organic Pastures

"Organic Pastures is where the cows grass-graze 365 days a year, the raw milk is tested before it is carefully made into a wide variety of delicious products, and (most importantly) we understand that organic raw milk isn't trendy - it is essential to life!" - Organic Pastures

Organic Pastures' Raw Cheddar

"... each block of our delicious cheddar is packed with bioavailable vitamins, minerals, probiotics, enzymes, beneficial bacteria, naturally occurring CLA, and omega-3 fatty acids." - Organic Pastures

Organic Pastures

"Our top priority is the health of our herd. Our staff is dedicated to continuously improving the lives of the herd and maintaining their comfort and health." - Organic Pastures

meet Rhonda and her littles at Gothberg Farms

"Cheese… wonderful cheese. It’s what we do. All of our cheese is made here, in our tiny little cheese plant, in a 52 gallon vat." - Gothberg Farms

Gothberg's Chevre

"Our milk is the Secret Weapon here. You can taste the essence of our Valley: the sea breezes, the grasses, & the surrounding farm activities. " - Gothberg Farms

Gothberg's girl

"All of our goats are pure bred LaManchas. They were chosen for their excellent milk quality, clever antics, & easy keeper abilities. This has remained one of the best farm decisions of all." - Gothberg Farms

Look at that fabulous cheese board!

"I don't think we need words for this one." - Gothberg Farms

meet Elizabeth and her Jersey at Achadinha Cheese Co.

"...in our experience, we have found, that like most girls, [the cows] just need a little more attention." - Achadinha Cheese Co.

Achandinha's Fresh Feta

Achadinha's crew

"While we tell people our girls are not pets and we are a working farm, we do certainly have our favorites and they do have names and personalities." - Achadinha Cheese Co.

Achadinha's Chevre

"We believe in feeding our girls a more alkaline diet so that the milk they produce is more alkaline, making the cheese easier to digest and better for us." - Achadinha Cheese Co.

meet the girls at Toluma Farms

"All of us at Toluma Farms consider ourselves farmers and environmentalists. Taking excellent care of the animals and land goes hand-in-hand; you cannot achieve one without the other." - Toluma Farms

Toluma's Assa

"The goats are milked twice a day and produce a gallon of milk each day, which translates into one pound of cheese." - Toluma Farms

Toluma Farms

"Toluma Farms is committed to educating kids and adults who might not have an opportunity to see where their food comes from." - Toluma Farms

Toluma's Atika

"Tomales Farmstead Creamery wins 2nd place for Atika at the American Cheese Society Conference - our first time entering!" - Toluma Farms

meet the party at Redwood Hill Farm

"We believe that every goat deserves to lead a good life, be treated with love and respect, and engage in a full range of their natural behaviors." - Redwood Hill Farm

Redwood Hill's Aged and Smoked Cheddar

"Aged for at least one year to achieve its complexity of flavors, our goat milk cheddar is a new twist on an old favorite." "Best of Show, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, 2017" - Redwood Hill Farm

Redwood Hill Farm

"Each goat has talents, tastes, and habits all their own." "Rather than eating grass, they prefer brush, hay, and leafy branches. They especially love rose bushes!" - Redwood Hill Farm

Redwood Hill's Feta

meet the sweethearts of James Ranch

"We produce 100% grass-fed, raw, farmstead cheeses in the beautiful Animas Valley near Durango, CO." - James Ranch

James' Colorado Blue

"We make cheese seasonally – only when our cows are on green grass. Because all of our cheeses are aged, we have this exceptional, tasty cheese for you year round." - James Ranch

kisses from Iris at James Ranch

"All that we do, from the care of our pastures and herd to careful milk handling and small batch attention to detail, comes together to create truly special cheeses that we know you will love. Good food – produced responsibly is what we are all about." - James Ranch

meet Ice Cream and Buttons at Lost Peacock Creamery

"We believe by giving animals a free and protected environment they will grow happy and healthy, without the constant bevy of antibiotics, hormones and fillers, factory farms are forced to use." - Lost Peacock Creamery

Lost Peacock's AsiaGoat

"A hard goat cheese for everyone. Natural rind finish, aged in a cave for 3 months." - Lost Peacock Farm

Lost Peacock's sisters, Trixie and Moxie

"In Europe the term “High Farming” is used to reference the perfect balance between plants and animals. Animals enrich the soil, the soil produces plants, the plants feed the animals. As lofty as it may sound, we aspire to succeed at “High Farming” and, in turn, nourish the people." - Lost Peacock Creamery

meet the girls at Stepladder Creamery

"We specialize in traditionally crafting small-scale, handmade cheeses with milk from our pasture-raised herd of very well-loved Lamancha goats." - Stepladder Creamery

Stepladder's Ragged Point

"Ragged Point is a small format bloomy rind triple crème cow’s milk cheese named for the gateway to Big Sur just North of our farmstead." - Stepladder Creamery

Almond at Stepladder

"Our herd of 35 goats graze on 3 acres of open pastures and oak woodlands and are protected by our dedicated Anatolian Shepherd, Lily." - Stepladder Creamery

Stepladder's Big Sur

"The balance of farmstead goat milk and local cow milk provides a bit of goaty brightness without being overwhelming." - Stepladder Creamery

meet Janis, Audrey and their newest member, Jackson Brown, at Ramini Mozzarella

"We train our animals to come in and give milk using the reward system so each animal has made the decision that they want to be milked. Our babies are hand raised and socialized to love human contact and interaction." - Ramini Mozzarella

Ramini Mozzarella

"Water Buffalo are sensitive loving animals that respond to human touch and affection with equal affection. This relationship is very special. In exchange for giving them love they have a release of oxytocin and give up their milk." - Ramini Mozzarella

Ramini Mozzarella

"It all started with 5 water buffalo and a husband and wife with a dream." - Craig and Audrey's story is beautiful, touching, and incredibly inspiring.

meet Bohemian Creamery

"... the spring clover enriches our goats’ milk, the wild blue rye molds powder our natural rind cheeses and the salty marine layer infuses our aging rooms. It is here where the inspiration for all our unique goat, sheep and cow cheeses is born." - Bohemian Creamery

Bohemian's Cowabunga

"A soft fresh lactic Holstein cow’s milk cheese filled with a delicious sweet cajeta (goat milk caramel) surprise and sealed with a milk bloomy candidum-geotrichum rind." - Bohemian Creamery

Bohemian's Bo Peep

"We pasteurize all our milks and use only vegetarian rennet in authentic artisanal tradition." - Bohemian Creamery

meet the crew of Mesa Farm

"Pasture is the foundation of the farm system at Mesa Farm. The pasture feeds the animals." - Mesa Farm

Mesa's Tomme

"... an aged semi hard alpine type cheese characterized by its naturally moldy rind." - Mesa Farm

Mesa Farm girls in the shade

"Sustainable agriculturalists recognize that people are a part of nature and that people are healthiest and happiest when they live in harmony with the natural system." - Mesa Farm

Mesa's Chevre

"Because our goats live naturally, their milk is naturally good, and it is with this good milk that we begin the process." - Mesa Farm

meet Jumpin Good Goat Dairy

"[We're] dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices, the education of our local and regional community on the function and health of local food systems, the humane treatment of our animals and DARN good cheese-making." - Jumpin Good Goat Dairy

Jumpin Good's First Snow

"Time, patience and love goes into the care of each wheel of this delicious cheese." - Jumping Good Goat Dairy

meet the girls at Point Reyes Farmstead

"... we believe that great cheese is made in the pastures. It's made in the natural grasses and cool ocean breezes on our coastal, Northern California farm. It's made by healthy, pampered and well-fed cows that we raise individually from birth." - Point Reyes Farmstead

Point Reyes' Mozzarella

"You simply won’t find mozzarella any fresher. It tastes like a glass of our freshest morning milk." "2016—American Cheese Society – 2nd Place" - Point Reyes Farmstead

Point Reyes Farmstead

"You have to get up pretty early to make cheese this fresh, so our crew begins each morning at 4 AM, filling vats with milk fresh from the dairy." - Point Reyes Farmstead

Point Reyes' Original Blue

"The cheese that started it all holds a special place in our hearts." "2017 World Cheese Awards Silver Award" - Point Reyes Farmstead

meet Mable at Drake Family Farms

"All the goats have names and are registered with the American Dairy Goat Association." - Drake Family Farms

Drake's hand-formed Idyllwild

"... 'artisan or artisanal' implies that a cheese is produced primarily by hand, in small batches, with particular attention paid to the tradition of the cheese maker’s art, and thus using as little mechanization as possible in the production of the cheese." - Drake Family Farms

Drake's girls

"We love our goats and give them a very high standard of care. Goats are like dogs with individual personalities and we consider every goat a pet." - Drake Family Farms

Drake's Herbs De Provence Chevre

"Our chevre has a very fresh taste. We use the finest French cultures and it is incubated for twelve hours and then drained in bags to give it a wonderful smooth texture and taste." - Drake Family Farms

meet mom and baby at Fraga Farmstead

"Our goat herd enjoys all the leaves and brambles that the Oregon countryside has to offer." - Fraga Farmstead Creamery

Fraga's Rio Santiam

Fraga Farmstead

"As the only certified organic goat dairy in Oregon, we are committed to producing the finest cheese and offering our goats the happiest quality of life possible." - Fraga Farmstead Creamery

bonus: Fraga also makes Caramels!

"We start with 75% of our organic goats milk, add only butter and sugar and then we cook, cook,cook and stir, stir, stir until about a day later, we have gorgeous, delicious and dreamy creamy caramels." - Fraga Farmstead Creamery

meet the teens at Petaluma Creamery

"On our organic farm we employ sustainable practices and the kind respectful treatment of animals. We don't give our cows any GMO feeds, antibiotics, or bovine growth hormones." - Petaluma Creamery

Petaluma's Mike's Firehouse

Petaluma Creamery

"On our organic farm we employ sustainable practices and the kind respectful treatment of animals. We don't give our cows any GMO feeds, antibiotics, or bovine growth hormones." - Petaluma Creamery

Petaluma's Smoked Garlic Jack

"Like wine, cheese has a 'terroir,' meaning a distinctive smell, taste, and texture that is derived from the weather, soil, and environment where it was grown, or in our case, raised." - Petaluma Creamery

meet the ladies at Monteillet Fromagerie

"As a true ecosystem centered on our farmstead artisanal cheesemaking operation, [we] strive to foster a lifestyle that is creative, both physically and spiritually, as well as economically." - Monteillet Fromagerie

Monteillet's Larzac

"Our signature goat and sheep cheese we learned to make at our friends’ fromagerie in Millau, France. Divided in half, it has a layer of a mixture of imported grapeleaf ash and sea salt." - Monteillet Fromagerie

Monteillet's Provençal

"All of our cheeses are made by hand at the fromagerie using traditional techniques and inspiration from the Roquefort region of France where Pierre-Louise Monteillet was born." - Monteillet Fromagerie

Monteillet Fromagerie

"As a Grade A dairy and farmstead cheese facility, the most important characters are our beautiful, registered Alpine goats and East Freisan-Lacaune sheep." - Monteillet Fromagerie

Monteillet's Le Roi Noir (The Black King)

"This cabecou of goat and sheep cheese is aged one week, then dusted with grapeleaf ash and sea salt, and put back to cellar another week to bloom a smokey rind." - Monteillet Fromagerie

meet the girls at Jollity Farm

"Our goal is to raise happy, healthy goats and to create cheese of exceptional quality for the local community." - Jollity Farm

Jollity's Raw Aged Chevre

next year's milkers at Jollity Farm

"All the goats (bucks and ladies) have names. Yes, we know all their names...and most of them know their names, too, even if they dont always come when called." - Jollity Farm

meet miss beautiful at Long Dream Farm

"Our commitment to the happiness and health of our animal partners is the underpinning of our practices." - Long Dream Farm

Long Dream's Fresh Churned Butter

"Our cows are not pushed for high production: they are milked only once a day and are often given days off." - Long Dream Farm

I realize this is not cheese but who cares. It's butter from super happy cows!

Long Dream Farm

"Long Dream Farm aspires to achieve the highest possible standards of happiness and general welfare for our cows, bulls and calves. This means not only providing a long, healthy life outdoors, but also preserving natural social interactions and the love of humans." - Long Dream Farm

meet Ferdinand and Gladys of Weirauch Farm

"We encourage you to eat seasonally and welcome the smallest and newest farmers in your region." - Weirauch Farm

Weirauch's Primo Fresco

Weirauch Farm

"Food connects us to our cultural roots, the land, the animal kingdom and our community. We firmly believe that local and handmade is always the optimal choice no matter where you live." - Weirauch Farm

Weirauch's Saint Rose

"Sheep milk has about twice the butterfat and approx. 40% more protein than cow or goat milk." "ACS Award 2014, Good Food Award 2013" - Weirauch Farm

meet Virga and Inara at Pennyroyal Farm

"... where every goat, sheep, and cheese has a name." - Pennyroyal Farm

Pennyroyal's Reserve Tomme

"Each cheese is made in a small batch with milk from our own goats and sheep. This allows us to keep a close eye on every ingredient and step in the process and produce handmade cheese that taste of a special time and place. Farmstead cheese is even more select than artisan cheese." - Pennyroyal Farm

Pennyroyal's Boonter's Blue

"... Pennyroyal's distinctive blue-veined cheese made from raw milk. It is dry, moderately flavored with a fudgy texture, similar to the Spanish cheese Cabrales." - Pennyroyal Farm

Pennyroyal's Hermosa and Bonita

"Our goats and sheep have a natural reproductive cycle: they are all bred in the fall, which allows us to give them at least two months off from milking in late winter. This time off allows them to prepare for birthing in the spring and keeps them healthy for the start of the next lactation period." - Pennyroyal Farm

Pennyroyal's Laychee and bonus: Pennyroyal also makes wine! (what?!)

"... where every vine is suckered by sheep." "...we strive to be an integrative vineyard in the mold of a traditional old-time American farm, and our wines reflect this dream " - Pennyroyal Farm

I am definitely coming here, and I'm bringing a baguette so I can achieve the ultimate farmstead trifecta: cheese, bread and wine!