Produced in North Carolina, the sister and brother team make soft-ripened cheeses resembling Italian Robiolas. During the COVID crisis, they've had to turn on a dime and completely restructure how they do business. Listen in to hear what they've been up to!
Find them here:Boxcarr Handmade Cheese
Please, consider donating to their efforts to save their local farmers and produce cheese for local NC food banks. Donate button on their website.
Cascadia Creamery lies on the base of Mt. Adams in Washington State with an aging facility that ages cheese in actual lava tubes. Mostly distributed to restaurants and retail shops, Cascadia Creamery has had to come up with other ways of managing their inventory during the Coronavirus.
For more information: Cascadia Creamery
Ferndale Farmstead is a farm and cheese facility making Italian style cheeses in Ferndale, Washington. Still being relatively new, they've had to rely heavily on their retail partners to help them through the COVID crisis.
For more information: Ferndale Farmstead
Nestled in the Adirondacks, Nettle Meadow is a farmstead cheese-making facility and sanctuary farm making a variety of cheese in cow, goat, and sheep milk. They are juggling making cheese and working on expansion projects that are taking longer than expected due to social distancing. For more information: Nettle Meadow
Twin Sisters Creamery makes blue and other raw milk cheeses in Ferndale, Washington just an hour and a half north of Seattle. Though their cheese shop is closed due to Covid19, they are back to making cheese thanks to efforts from the local community to support small cheesemakers.
For more information: Twin Sisters Creamery
Uplands Cheese makes seasonal cows milk cheese from cows pastured on their farm in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. With the season just beginning, Andy discusses how they have been shielded from the initial Coronavirus concerns but also postulates on what could come in the future.
For more information: Uplands Cheese
Jasper Hill Farm has been a visionary in the cheese industry for nearing two decades and is often on the forefront of policy change and awareness when it comes to dairying and cheesemaking. Mateo talks about how this powerhouse is weathering the Covid crisis and what hard decisions they've had to make to continue serving their values.
For more information: Jasper Hill Farm
Briar Rose Creamery sits in the middle of wine country in Dundee, Oregon. Without farmer's markets and wine tours, they've had to rely on local grocers to pick up more cheese to make up for the lost sales.
For more information: Briar Rose Creamery
Shelburne Farms sits atop Lake Champlain and besides being a farmstead cheese producer, sustainability education is a tenet of their business. While mail-order has risen to new heights, events around the farm have ceased.
For more information: Shelburne Farms
Sweet Grass Dairy is one of the very few dairies that can have pastured cows all year long. They make a variety of cheeses including some using raw milk. When food service came to a halt and their own restaurant had to close up, sales took a huge hit. Working closely with their distributors and expanding mail-order has helped but hasn't entirely remedied the issue.
For more information: Sweet Grass Dairy
Landmark Creamery is a woman-owned cheesemaker in Wisconsin that makes mostly sheep's milk cheese. The Anna's (both owners are named Anna) also owns a cheese shop in the town of Paoli. They've been able to shift gears by providing a local box that they deliver to their community but using sheep milk provides its own set of difficulties in the United States.
For more information: Landmark Creamery
Central Coast Creamery is based in Paso Robles and they make a variety of aged cheeses from all milk types. They have been able to bring back employees after furlough due to the PPP loans. Through the support of their community, they've been able to weather the storm in a way that others might look to for future dips in the industry.
For more information: Central Coast Creamery