Hello from New Zealand Hokianga

[Waitawa Farm Cheesemaking]

Hi everyone, what a great forum- I am from NZ near top of the North island and have been making soft greek cheeses for quite a few years, brie style, gouda, and cheddar for about 6 months. I love cheese and make it about every second day. I am not allowed to sell my cheese so I give away to friends and also run beginners cheese making workshops to show people how easy and addictive it is to make cheese.

[Cheese Head]

Hello Waitawa, welcome to this forum & website!

Congrats on all the cheeses and especially on running beginners workshops! Hope you don't mind but I found your website here, beautiful country! There's a FAQ How to add your website/blog to your post's signature line here if you want.

Looking forward to your input.

PS: Several Kiwi's already on this forum .

[zenith1]

Hello from New York to New Zealand! Sounds like you have bumped into the old regulatory agency. Bummer..at least you are still making cheese, thats the best part.

[DeejayDebi]

Welcome WFC. Nice looking farm. You critters look very happy too.

[FRANCOIS]

The regulatory hurdles in NZ are interesting to say the least.  They are also quite expensive, much much more than in the US.  They are considering allowing raw milk cheeses now, looks like it will go through this October.  The odd thing is that they make a clear distinciton between "raw milk cheeses" and "cheeses made with raw milk".  You can actually use raw milk as an ingredient in some cheeses.  They basically will allow any process that yields pathogen free cheese.  It has been very piece-meal until now.  They are formally going to produce clear regualtions for it.

[Waitawa Farm Cheesemaking]

Hello, thank you for your welcome- I am so glad I stumbled upon this site- it is interesting in nz at the moment raw milk cheeses are allowed to be imported and sold, but nz cheese manufacturers are not permitted to sell theirs- that one has got me stumped!

[FRANCOIS]

Actually that's not entirely true.  There are cheese makers that use raw milk as ingredients and some that thermize their milk.  NZFSA doesn't consider these raw milk cheeses though and they only need confrom with pasteurized milk regs (even though they would be considered raw milk cheeses in most countries).  Confusing enough?

[zenith1]

and I thought that New york laws were confusing

[Waitawa Farm Cheesemaking]

Hmmm- that is interesting that what would be regarded as raw milk cheeses in some countries are not her in nz- hubby has a friend who is a health officer and he has put us right off going down the road of trying to sell cheese- far more fun and less cash layout just to do beginners workshops.