Where Can I Get Goats Milk Suitable for Cheese in Northern CA?

[saycheese]

Anyone know where I can get goat's milk suitable for cheese in Northern California?  Are where I might start to look around.  I searched on www.localhavest.org but didn't come up with anyone offering goats milk for sale.  What I see at Whole Foods and other stores is ultra pasteurized and I know that will not work. 

[Cheese Head]

saycheese, Ultra Pasteurized (dead) milk may work but yes it would be a hard slog, this website may help.

[saycheese]

Thanks, Cheesehead -- looks like Evergreen Acres Petting Farm in San Jose makes deliveries of raw goat milk not far from me.  But wow, it's pricey -- better get my cheesemaking techniques down before investing.

[Tea]

I know "they" say that UHT milk can be used, but in the goat milk variety I have not had much luck in getting it to set.  Last time I tried UHT goats milk, even though I used twice the amount of rennet then I should of, it still didn't set.
If you can get you hands on fresh milk, then by all means do so.  In my opinion it is worth the extra.

[Cartierusm]

Say Cheese, where are you located, I'm in Burlingame...Nor Cal baby!!! If you don't know Goat's milk has special requirements anyway because it's naturally, out of the goat, homogonized. Try Half Moon Bay or Pescadero they have some goat farms. I was looking into buying a goat for milking, I checked craigslist and found goats for sale near Pescadero, I'd give them a call and ask them, I'm sure they'd be more than helpful.

[saycheese]

Cartierusm,
I'm in Martinez, CA.  Pescadero is a little far for me.  Evergeen delivers regularly somewhere in Danville ( I emailed to find out where) and that's pretty close -- about a 20 minute drive.  We'll see how it all works out.  If it doesn't, Pescadero sounds like a plan.

[Brian]

Hi there.
What were they charging for raw goats milk?

B

[saycheese]

$6.00 a quart.  Trader Joes has pasteurised (not ultra pasteurised) for $2.99 a quart.  It's not raw but it might work, but I will work on getting my cheese making skills down pat before working with stuff that's more than $12.00 a gallon!

[Cartierusm]

Say, Trader Joes has Goat milk or are you talking about the cream top past cow milk?

[Megan]

$6/qt, ugh, that's expensive milk.
Try realmilk.com, they should have a few dairy folks listed in your state.

[merlin]

Hay saycheese, I have a few producers that I work fairly close with.  Let me check with them if they'd be willing to spare some milk and sell.  I'm sure they wouldn't mind.  You'll probably have to promise not to compete against them in the cheese business but I don't think they'll mind if its only for personal use.  I'll touch base with you in the next few days.

[saycheese]

Cartierusm -- yes, goats milk at Trader Joes-- even has a little goat head picture on the label.  It's pasteurized but not Ultra.

Merlin, thanks for checking on that. No- I won't compete. 

[Cartierusm]

Merlin, I'd be interested too, if you don't mind.

[merlin]

No problem.  When I get an answer I'll send you guys the contact info.

[saycheese]

Merlin,
Thanks so much.