7 Providers Of Delectable Cheeses

7 Sources For Artisan Cheese

Welcome to Clover Country

Useful Items for Cheese Lovers

• Cheese Slicers
• Fondue Pots
• Rotary Graters
• Cheese Knives
• Quesadilla Makers
• Box Graters
• Home Pizza Ovens
• Cheese Board Sets
• Electric Food Slicers
• Raclette Grills
• Picnic Baskets
• Pizza Peels
• Panini Presses
• Au Gratin Pans

Animals Having Fun at Mecox Bay Dairy

In Depth

People have been enjoying cheese for thousands of years. With so many different types and textures not only coming from cows, but other mammals such as goats, there is bound to be something for everyone. In no particular order, here are 7 companies who provide quality cheeses for you and your family to try.

First at #1 is Mecox Bay Dairy in Bridgehampton, New York. The motto across this farm is "Happy Cows Make Happy Cheese." The herd of over 20 milking cows are primarily pastured, eating hay in the winter, which makes for excellent milk and therefore delicious cheese. This farm raises exclusively Jersey cows, which are known for producing milk that is higher in fat and protein, an important quality for making cheese.

All cheeses are made with raw milk, which is milk that has never been pasteurized. The pasteurization process destroys all probiotics and vitamins that occur naturally in cows' milk, and the cheese that comes from it is inevitably less flavorful. Mecox Bay Dairy offers a wide selection, including Farmhouse Cheddar, Mecox Sunrise, and Ricotta, which is only available during summer.

The pasteurization process destroys all probiotics and vitamins that occur naturally in cows' milk, and the cheese that comes from it is inevitably less flavorful.

Next at #2 is Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, located in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Holstein cows are milked on this rural Wisconsin dairy farm and are fed a homegrown diet consisting of corn, alfalfa and soybeans. The farm uses 100% green power, practices water conservation and recycling, and is a carbon-negative company, which means the manure digester produces more electricity than needed.

In 1999, the Crave Brothers discussed how to grow the business and wanted to use their own high quality milk to produce specialty cheeses for the consumer. The cheese factory was constructed in 2001. The milk is piped directly from the dairy farm to the factory within hours of milking for flavorful cheeses, including such favorites as mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, and Farmer's Rope Cheese.

Coming in at #3 is Lucky Penny Farm, located in Portage County, Ohio and established by Abbe Turner in 2002. Lucky Penny Farm is a place where art, agriculture, and family intersect. This home and farm takes pride in being dedicated to food, family, living simply and sustainably, and doing good work in the community.

This home and farm takes pride in being dedicated to food, family, living simply and sustainably, and doing good work in the community.

Like many small farmers today, a percentage of the Turner family income is made off-site, but it is still a small operation where the children can enjoy playing with the animals. Currently the farm raises dairy goats, makes artisan cheese, produces a caramel sauce, Cajeta, and grows an increasing amount of the food put on the family table.

At #4 is Clover Sonoma. The Clover brand dates back to 1916 when fresh, delicious milk was first bottled and distributed by the Petaluma Cooperative Creamery located in Petaluma, California. In 1977, the Benedetti Family took over the Clover brand and has been at the helm ever since.

In 2000, Clover became the first and only dairy company in the U.S. to be certified by the American Humane Association for their animal welfare program, and as an early adopter, launched its USDA Certified Organic line in 1999. Clover Organic Cheeses are crafted by expert cheesemakers who use organic milk to blend creamy indulgence with rich flavor.

Clover Organic Cheeses are crafted by expert cheesemakers who use organic milk to blend creamy indulgence with rich flavor.

Next at #5, Farm Boy fresh market stores have been providing a fun and friendly shopping experience for over 38 years with legions of loyal fans all throughout Ontario, Canada. The markets offer wholesome, healthy, and tasty food choices. Each day customers visit their local stores looking for the best fresh produce from shelves filled with the freshest items available.

Visit the cheese counter to pick a favorite from more than 300 varieties. From international award-winners to local farmstead artisan cheese handcrafted in small batches by skilled cheese makers, Farm Boy has an array of rich, complex tastes, textures and aromas. The market can cut you a sample fresh from the wheel and help to pick a cheese for every occasion.

At #6 is Brookford Farm, a 600-acre diversified farm with over 35 acres in certified organic vegetable production situated along the banks of the Merrimack River in Canterbury, New Hampshire. The farm is also home to cattle, hogs, and chickens, all rotated on pasture as the seasons allow. Milk from the dairy herd is bottled raw or turned into a wide variety of dairy goods in their creamery.

Milk from the dairy herd is bottled raw or turned into a wide variety of dairy goods in their creamery.

Much of that variety comes in the form of cheeses, which are a perfect way of preserving excess milk and enhancing natural flavors. As is true of all the dairy goods, they are made with milk from 100% grass-fed cows. Brookford Farm makes both raw and pasteurized milk cheeses including mozzarella, gouda, feta, and brie.

Last on the list at #7 is Laurel Valley Creamery. Betty and Fuzzy Cook moved from Boone County, West Virginia, onto the 110 acre farm on a dirt road in Cora, Ohio, back in 1947. They raised four children, milked cows, and raised the food for both the cows and the family. After Fuzzy passed away, his grandson Nick and his wife Celeste moved back to tend the farm and raise their children.

After hobby farming for a few years, the dairy farm was up and running full time once more. With the dairy farm came milk, which led to cheese, which led to converting an existing pole barn to a state licensed cheese making facility. The farm now specializes in naturally aged raw milk cheese like country jack and jersey drover, in addition to making several pasteurized specialty cheeses like cloverton and pepper jack.