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RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. -
Steve Tate and his crew are up before the sun every weekday, beginning the process that turns raw goat's milk into gourmet cheeses. But few people predicted the success of Goat Lady Dairy when Tate's sister, Ginny, and her goats got down to business in 1995.
"We really did have a lot of people who told us we were crazy to even think about it and we wouldn't be able to make goat cheese successful and sell it in North Carolina," says Tate. "And now, those same people ask us to come lead workshops for them about small farms."
These days, Goat Lady Dairy produces a full line of handmade cheeses -- fresh, ripened and aged. The dairy even makes goat milk yogurt and goat cheese truffles.
"We make about 35,000 pounds of cheese a year. This year, we'll process 25,000 gallons of goat milk and 3,000 gallons of cow milk," says Tate.
And these cheesemakers will tell you to be patient. The process of turning milk into cheese cannot be rushed.
"We believe that when people know what their food comes from and know the people who are lovingly producing their foods, that then they have a whole new feeling about their food and they participate with us in taking good care of the farmland and the animals," Tate says.
The animals kept at Goat Lady Dairy's property are just a fraction of the goats used to produce the cheese. Others are kept at another nearby farm. By partnering with other families, Goat Lady Dairy has managed to grow more than livestock.
"We produce and sell 10 times more the amount of cheese we did in 1996, so no, I didn't think it would grow this much," says Tate.
Two farmers markets and 60 local restaurants feature the dairy's cheese, and without help from neighbors, Goat Lady Dairy couldn't keep up with demand.
"We're really glad we involved other families in our business and, in that way, we've been able to bring a lot of young people into the business, so that when we retire, we know that Goat Lady Dairy will go on," says Tate.
"We really did have a lot of people who told us we were crazy to even think about it and we wouldn't be able to make goat cheese successful and sell it in North Carolina," says Tate. "And now, those same people ask us to come lead workshops for them about small farms."
These days, Goat Lady Dairy produces a full line of handmade cheeses -- fresh, ripened and aged. The dairy even makes goat milk yogurt and goat cheese truffles.
"We make about 35,000 pounds of cheese a year. This year, we'll process 25,000 gallons of goat milk and 3,000 gallons of cow milk," says Tate.
And these cheesemakers will tell you to be patient. The process of turning milk into cheese cannot be rushed.
"We believe that when people know what their food comes from and know the people who are lovingly producing their foods, that then they have a whole new feeling about their food and they participate with us in taking good care of the farmland and the animals," Tate says.
The animals kept at Goat Lady Dairy's property are just a fraction of the goats used to produce the cheese. Others are kept at another nearby farm. By partnering with other families, Goat Lady Dairy has managed to grow more than livestock.
"We produce and sell 10 times more the amount of cheese we did in 1996, so no, I didn't think it would grow this much," says Tate.
Two farmers markets and 60 local restaurants feature the dairy's cheese, and without help from neighbors, Goat Lady Dairy couldn't keep up with demand.
"We're really glad we involved other families in our business and, in that way, we've been able to bring a lot of young people into the business, so that when we retire, we know that Goat Lady Dairy will go on," says Tate.
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