By SUSAN MYKRANTZ
Ohio Correspondent

WOOSTER, Ohio — “We use everything but the baaaa! from our flock,” said Pat Elliott, a farmer and cheese maker from Rapidan, Va., as well as one of the presenters at the Ohio Sheep Milk and Cheese Initiative Symposium at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster.

She told the audience that at Everona Dairy, they try to use the wool and meat as well as the milk from their 100-ewe flock. Elliott said sheep dairying has advantages over cows because sheep are less costly, easier to handle and easier on the land than cattle. They can be raised in areas and situations that do not support cattle, too.

There are 169 sheep dairies in the United States, with 85 of them making products from sheep milk on a commercial basis. Elliott said artisanal farmstead cheese production is growing and the quality produced by U.S. farmers rivals that of European cheeses.
“You have to have a business plan before you go into this business,” she said. “If you think about it, this business is a four-legged stool; (sheep) milk, the creamery, managing the business and personality. You need all four legs; if one is weak, you will be on shaky ground.”

A quality product starts in the barn, and producers need to start with the best animals possible. Elliott stressed the importance of good animal husbandry practices.

“Sheep are responsive if they are treated right,” she said. “Find a mentor, read a book, take classes, gain experience so that you have the knowledge to take care of your sheep.”

She said it is important for shepherds to be proactive and observant, particularly as animal welfare issues remain in the spotlight.

“Look at what your ewes are doing,” she said. “Look at what your guard dogs are doing. Good animal welfare is important; your sheep will produce more if you take care of them.”

Facilities are also important, according to Elliott, designed to allow one to handle their animals safely and efficiently. Do you have a breed that is acclimated to your climate, or do you need facilities to provide shelter for your animals from cold, wet, windy weather? Do they provide protection from predators? Do you have an area for ewes to lamb?

Food and water are obviously important. Shepherds should have an adequate water supply and a balanced ration for their flock. Lambs should have access to feed and water without interference from adult sheep. Producers should monitor the lambs for any problems and keep records on their health and production.

Records are a critical part of the operation, from breeding and health to production records. Elliott stressed using some method of performance testing such as from the Dairy Herd Improvement Assoc. to record milk weights on the flock.

“You need to keep the somatic cell count down in your flock,” she said. “We try to have ours down around 200,000. But preventing mastitis is a lot cheaper than treating it.”

The second leg in Elliott’s “stool” is the creamery. “What are you selling: cheese, fluid milk, wool or meat?” she asked. “If you are making cheese, who is making it, what type of cheese are they making and how are they making it? What is their expertise?”

She added if shepherds are going to process cheese on their farms, they must do it legally. “Be proactive,” she said. “Get your operation legal and do it cheerfully. Call your state department of agriculture and the dairy inspectors. Talk things through with them.”
The third leg of the stool is the business. “Farmstead artisanal cheese making is labor-intensive,” Elliott said. “Learn to produce a great product, because you are going to be aiming at an upscale market.”

She added it is important to have a business plan and document every decision made in the operation. This is invaluable when producers are looking for startup money for their operation. As part of the business plan, producers need to decide how they are going to sell their product.

“Are you going to farmers’ markets or are you working with chefs?” she asked. “It is important to develop several types of markets for your cheese. If you are going to have an upscale product, treat it like an upscale product. There is a lot of time involved in making and caring for the cheese.”

The fourth leg is personality, according to Elliott.

“Cheese making is a lot of work, be sure that it is fun, also,” she said. “Trust others, but be alert and aware of what is going on. Always assess the situation.”

Finally, “show the animals that you care for them. Show your employees that you care for them as well, but insist on good behavior from both of them. Ask for quality from yourself, your animals and your employees.”

Get the proper licensing

Out of 120 milk processing facilities in Ohio, 22 are small on-farm cheese processors, but none of those 22 are processing sheep milk, according to David Mengel, supervisor of Dairy Plant Inspections with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

But that will change shortly, as a farm in Morrow county is in the final stages of constructing a sheep dairy and cheese processing facility. Mengel said although the on-farm processers are on a smaller scale, regulations are the same for all size operations.

“Milk must come from a licensed farm,” he said. Because most sheep milk is used for cheese, he added those farms fall under a Grade B license; however if the sheep dairies want to produce fluid milk, they must meet specifications for a Grade A license.

“We have seen a lot of growth in the past five years for on-farm cheese processors,” he said. “We have some of our on-farm cheese processors who really do a nice job.”

Mengel said when he receives an inquiry from a producer interested in setting up an on-farm operation, he gives them a checklist of things they need to consider as part of the process. The most important is to start with a marketing plan and make a product the market wants.