By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent LEXINGTON, Ky. — While cheese-making may still be more recognized in states such as Wisconsin or California, it is gaining popularity here as more farms become diversified and the demand for local commodities grows.
To help newcomers to the industry, the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture and Kentucky State University are offering, along with industry partners, a three-day cheese-making school in March to teach the basics of the craft. Terry Hutchens, UK extension goat specialist, said the interest in the class has been overwhelming – which obviously mirrors the demand.
“The market is tremendous. There is a fraction of amount of cheese on the market to meet the demand,” he said. “The school is for anyone who wants to learn to make cheese using milk from goats, sheep or cows. They will learn the latest technology and the basics of good sanitation practices and quality analysis.”
The response has been so great, the class has already reached capacity, Hutchens added. In fact, some participants are coming from as far away as Alabama, with inquiries also coming from Wisconsin and Delaware.
“We’re only taking 20 per class and we have enough on a waiting list for another class,” he said.
According to information from UK, the school will be hosted at Miller’s Bleugrass Chevre, LLC Farmstead Goat Cheese in Clark County, March 16-18. The first day, participants will learn to make hard cheeses such as Colby and cheddar and begin a process for softer cheeses such as cream cheese, Brie and Camembert.
On the second day, participants will continue making soft cheeses and begin making feta and Parmesan. The third day, participants will finish all cheese, begin making yogurt and also take part in a sensory evaluation of all the cheeses.
The attention surprised Hutchens, who was worried there wouldn’t be enough people interested.
“I was concerned about filling the class. It cost $275 per person and we had to have a minimum amount to pay for it, but then it filled in two weeks,” he said.
This will mark the first time such a class has been hosted by the two universities and Hutchens said participants will leave with more than just a knowledge of how-to manufacture cheese.
“We aren’t stopping at how to make cheese,” he said. “We want them to understand how cheese-making knowledge can add value to their operations and also to have a basic understanding of how to market the cheese they make to enhance their income.”
While most of the folks coming to the cheese-making class are newcomers, the art of making cheese in Kentucky isn’t new to everyone. Kenny Mattingly of Barren County has been in the business for 12 years and has seen it grow from a niche to more of a mainstream endeavor.
“The idea of buying locally has really helped us. I think it is stronger, in the last year or two, than I have ever seen it with even corporate interest,” he said. “People are wanting to eat more food that is close to home and we’re seeing more traffic through our farm where we are kind of off the beaten path because, I think, people are traveling closer to home, too.”
Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese is just that: Cheese that comes straight from a dairy operation and is sold in the farm store. And with the dairy business going through a tough period, more farmers are inquiring about the possibility of adding cheese production in order to keep the farm going.
“We’ve had at least six to eight other dairy farm families visit this year to see what we’re doing and how we do it,” he said. “There’s definitely an interest in value- added.”
Mattingly added he’s not sure if there will be great numbers of dairy producers moving toward the cheese business, but if they are, now is the time.
“Time is short and if they are going to move, they need to move now. The market is asking for fresher local products, I think, and while milk prices are up a little, now is the time to do it,” he said.
Besides the move toward local products and an increased demand, Mattingly credits other things that have helped his business grow, including marketing programs such as Kentucky Proud.
“Overall, people are eating more cheese, and that doesn’t hurt at all,” he said. “The more cheese people eat, the more challenged they are with their palate.
“When we started making cheese, we were mild cheddar people, and now we’re enjoying things like bleu cheeses,” Mattingly added.
Today the company has grown enough to bring his wife to the farm from her teaching position of 21 years and has provided employment for 10 people on the farm and in the cheese business.
“That has been the thing this year that has made me feel good about what this business has done,” said Mattingly. “Not only has it sustained our farm, but it has provided part of the livelihood for other people, and we have employees so enthused about working for this company because of the quality of what we produce. It’s neat to see that happen, especially in a time where people need work.”
After 12 years, Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese may just be scratching the surface of what the company’s potential could be. “If we can get some organizational things in place, I think we can double what we are doing now in the next two or three years,” said Mattingly.
“We’re not even marketing. We’re just letting business come to us and we’re selling everything we’re making.”
With 30 different cheeses, he is even considering franchising the business in the future by partnering with other farmers who fit the profile of making some of their cheeses.
With interest so high, the cheese-making school will likely see many more classes come through in the future, potentially enabling potential cheese makers to become as successful as Mattingly. For more information, contact Hutchens at 859-257-2465 or e-mail thutchen@uky.edu |
