Mountain Lodge Farm
Mountain Lodge Farm is a Grade A dairy making farmstead cheeses from the sweet milk of our herd of Nigerian dwarf and LaMancha goats that we raise on our land in the foothills of Mt. Rainier. We also pasture raise Black Welsh Mountain Sheep, a heritage breed, for delicious USDA certified lamb. We believe in education and outreach to our community and those that eat our exquisitely made products. We offer classes, participation in our volunteer program and monthly farm open houses. Our animals have access to pasture year round, whether it is the hillside for goat and llama escapades or the lower pasture where our flock of sheep raise their lambs under the watchful eye of Mt. Rainier. We look forward to meeting you and sharing what our animals help us create on this verdant land in the Pacific Northwest.
| All About the Goats
Mountain Lodge Farm is a small, adorable, farmstead creamery in Eatonville, Washington. We are featuring them all of February, and we can’t wait to share with you the details of their cheesemaking operation!
Here is what Mountain Lodge has to say about their creamery:
“We are a farmstead creamery raising Nigerian Dwarf and La Mancha goats. They browse every day on our still wild land – munching on salal, Douglas fir and blackberry brambles. We believe the quality and variety of their diet contribute greatly to the flavor of our cheese. We don’t like to toss around the word “terroir,” but taste of place is what we are all about. We really focus a lot of love on these animals and we think that our healthy happy herd gives us the best milk in the world.”
Photo borrowed from Mountain Lodge Farm.
| A Many-Faceted Operation
Mountain Lodge Farm is situated in the foothills of Mount Rainier where they raise dairy goats (primarily) and sheep. As farms are wont to do, Mountain Lodge has a whirligig of goings-on. They produce dairy, as well as soaps and lotions from the goats, raise meat, teach animal husbandry, have a weekend cheese shop, welcome people in to interact with their animals, and more. If you live in or are visiting the great state of Washington, then you ought to plan a spring visit to the farm and experience its magic for yourself.
Photo borrowed from Mountain Lodge Farm.
| Terroir Isn't Just for Wine
Mountain Lodge Farm makes several goat’s milk cheeses that are distinctly representative of their unique terroir. Wonderland is one such cheese. It is a raw milk, mountain tomme-style that is complex, nutty, fruity, and caprine. We love it!
Photo borrowed from Mountain Lodge Farm.
| The Milk Decides the Cheese
As farmstead cheesemakers, Mountain Lodge Farm has an intimate relationship with their ruminants and the milk they provide. Here is what they have to say about their goats and cheese:
“Our goal as cheesemakers is to show off the amazing quality of our milk. We’ve developed cheeses to highlight and take advantage of the flavor profile inherent in our herd. We monitor our animals’ milk composition and taste and blend depending on the cheese we are trying to make.
Our precocious La Mancha goats provide silky, delicate milk that lends itself to fresh cheese. We blend it with Nigerian Dwarf milk to create something really special in our young cheeses. Our Nigerians are incredibly efficient little animals. Their milk is a concentrated protein and butterfat bomb (almost like sheep milk) that just calls out to be made into raw rustic tommes.”
Photo and quotations borrowed from Mountain Lodge Farm.
| New Cheeses, Old Styles
Mountain Lodge Farm is a Washington creamery that comes closer to old wordly styles of cheese than most in our state. In part because of the emphasis on terroir, and in part because European cheese is awesome, Mountain Lodge has created approachable cheese with a euro flair, and the good people of Washington cannot get enough!
Photo borrowed from Mountain Lodge Farm.
| It All Starts in February
February through May is what we call “baby ruminant season”–which means the milk is flowing! Be on the lookout for the freshest, sweetest, cleanest fresh cheese of the year during the late winter and early spring.
Photo borrowed from Mountain Lodge Farm.
| Small & Artisanal is Humane
One major difference between dairy produced industrially versus dairy produced artisanally is the manner in which the animals are treated. Industrial operations cannot possibly give the ruminants the individual care and attention they require and deserve–there are simply too many of them. Smaller producers, on the other hand, tend to make a point of treating their animals the best they possibly can. And it shows in the final product.
We all know that happy animals make the best milk. This is evident in the cheese produced by Mountain Lodge Farm. We need to support these farmstead cheesemakers who do everything in their power to give their animals the optimum life. For if we continue to ingest lower quality cheese manufactured by the industrial machine, then we are not going to even have the option to buy cheese from these artisan creameries anymore. Support our local cheesemakers, folks!
Photo borrowed from Mountain Lodge Farm.
