I'm a retired lawyer with an energetic wife who prays a lot. Ten years ago, she prayed, "Lord, i just want to bless the most people!" She thought she heard God say, "Then buy a working farm." We stepped out in a lot of faith and bought 40 acres in the Allegheny Mountains in my home state of West Virginia. I can't say for sure that the voice she heard was God, but I can say that it's been well-nigh non-stop blessing since we got here. So we're working hard at the farm!
We own thirty-odd goats (mini-Nubians) and are planning to add mini Jersey cows. (My wife is on the small side; we like cute and cuddly critters.) Our business model primarily focuses on selling kids and calves, with a local herdshare operation (thanks to Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund) that allows us to sell raw milk to neighbors who buy into our operation. That leaves a LOT of milk left over in the peak season, with lots and lots more as we build up our dual dairy herds to the capacity of our land.
West Virginia has been revising its farm laws a LOT in the last few years, and most of the changes have been great for our operation. As I now understand the law, we can sell unlimited raw milk and milk products to herdshare customers, up to 5000 pounds of raw COW cheese, and unlimited quantities of raw milk cheese (both goat and cow) that is listed on the federal register (21 CFR 113) and has been aged 2 months or more. That means I should be able to convert every excess drop of milk into cheese and (try to) sell it somewhere within West Virginia. (None of these WV laws entitle me to sell across state lines.)
Did I mention I'm a retired lawyer? Looks like I'm more excited about the law than the cheese. Well, that's because I'm still learning about cheese. Which is why I am here, and why I'm eager to hear from fellow West Virginians and fellow cheesemakers. I'll be asking a million questions (or making a billion mistakes). Thanks in advance for your advice!
Welcome! Sounds like a fun endeavor!
Just so you know, your state - like just about every other state - allows dairies to become Grade A certified. A Grade A dairy + approved "processing plant" (cheesemaking room) will allow you to produce legal cheese that can be sold in any store, sold across state lines, etc, like any other commercially available cheese.
Check out your state's guidelines - looks like WV adopted the PMO which most other states (including ours) have as well. We produce and sell cheese and other Grade A dairy products from our tiny herd of 2-3 cows. :)