I'm so excited!!!
I live south of Pittsburgh PA and it's half rural, so you would think that I would be able to find good quality milk sources nearby? But nope! I have had to buy my milk from the local supermarket up till now. Pasteurized and Homogenized.
Now, while I've learned how to make good cheese with that kind of milk with the help of people on this forum and Caldwell's book, I've been keeping my eye out for local producers. I've wanted to support local farmers and up my game at the same time.
About two months ago, my neighbors discovered a local dairy farm, not more than 4 miles from us. A young couple in their early 30's. 80 head of cattle. Selling gently pasteurized cow's milk that's NOT homogenized. Price is about a dollar more than supermarket price for a gallon, but that is compensated for by not needing to add cream!
My first attempts were some fetas and I could see a huge difference in the make process. The curds were much stronger! The feta tasted much better too. I've since made a couple of Tomme's as well. Same observations. The curds are forming much better, the knitting in the mold is tighter, and the flavor is better. I asked the farmer about his feeding practices: He does not have the acreage to allow for natural grass feeding - but that means that his milk will be consistent year round, so that's actually a plus.
Now, if only I could find a goat farmer around here.... (My only source of goat's milk charges $17 per gallon [No, that's NOT a typo ==> $17!!! ] )
