Artisan cheeses, no, wait, scratch that. [Artisan cheeses]

EXCELLENT artisan cheeses are often not only about the taste alone which make them spectacular, but the time and care which go into them. For many years now I have been a big fan of the farmstead cheeses produced by Pedrozo Dairy and Cheese Company in Orland, California for these reasons. I’ve mentioned Pedrozo in past entries on this blog, but what I have not done is explained a little about what makes Pedrozo’s cheese so excellent on a consistent basis.

First and foremost, it is that Pedrozo uses milk from a single herd of Jersey cows, their cows, which are grass-fed on rotating pastures next to their milking and cheese-making facilities. In case you are asking yourself why that might make a difference, the reasons are many-fold; they know exactly what their livestock is eating, they can assure and maintain the health of their herd, with a single-source of milk for their cheese they can also have a much more consistent tasting product. There are additional benefits, such as cutting down on costs. Cheese makers which must buy their milk from other sources also have to pay for the transport of that milk, and the freshness of transported milk can naturally also then be compromised despite the higher cost. When, however, the milking is done directly next to the holding tanks and cheese-making facility, the cheese maker can utilize the freshest milk possible as he or she chooses. Also, the choice of whether to make cheese from pasteurized  or raw milk is easier to decide since producers who must have milk transported to them incur a higher “unknown” factor of risks [again; raw milk is only as safe as it is properly handled. If you feel you may disagree, or are confused, this prior posting about "Raw Milk Cheese Responsibility" may, or may not, clear up some things for you].

Pedrozo happens to make raw-milk (and aged more than 60 days), semi-firm cheese with their high-quality milk. While Kathy and I were visiting their dairy this past Sunday, cheese maker Mandy Johnston, spoke to a tour group of visitors taking part in the “Passport Weekend” (a tour of farms and agricultural producers in the northern part of the Sacramento Valley). She commented that; “with as few as four basic ingredients, there are over 4000 varieties of cheese.” So, before you feel that I am trying to single out Pedrozo’s cheeses, or raw-milk cheeses, or even cheeses with a single-herd milk source as “the best”, it always comes down to individual taste. The taste of the cheese, and what YOU think of the taste of the cheese is what maters most. Starting with fresh and high-quality ingredients, however, will always be to the benefit of the final cheese.

Just as I have heard said of wine, the story behind the quality of a cheese can further accent your enjoyment of the final product. Pedrozo has such a story, and they so willingly share it with their customers and anyone who is interested. So that I don’t simply paraphrase their website, I encourage you to read the “Our Family/About the Pedrozos” page of their site. This time around, while visiting, Kathy and I got the opportunity to talk with both Mandy and her boyfriend John (who is also an integral part of the business… oh, but wait, you already know that ’cause you just read their website), and felt both honored and flattered that they gave us so much of their time despite the busy “open farm” weekend going on. Truth is, however, that these two (as well as Tim & Jill Pedrozo) are genuinely nice people. Their pride of their cheese is evident in that they are excited when it is enjoyed.

Kathy and I listened in on Mandy’s tour one and a half times (again; I’m the geeky guy who has more questions than anyone else wants, or needs, to have explained), and her enthusiasm for her work, and the dairy’s end product, shone through. Also, the great many visitors were fascinated, since it is not every day that people get to see, first hand, how cheese is actually made.

There is a love and fortitude (along the line of strength of character) necessary to be a cheese maker, particularly in the size of operation that the Pedrozo’s Dairy maintains. Jill Pedrozo had once said that she was the perfect person to be a dairy farmer’s wife since she’s both willing and able to remain at home (and make cheese). As you’ve read, she has handed the duties of cheese making to Mandy. Imagine, if you will, the scheduling of cheese making:

Each day at Pedrozo Diary 27 cows need to be milked twice a day, once at 6:00am, and once at 6:00pm. I’d say that it was “like clockwork”, but it IS clockwork. The cows know when it is time to be milked, and each has formed the habit of using the same, specific, milking station. Mandy’s father, Tim, is the primary milker and tender of the cows, but so that he’d have the opportunity to have some time away from it, it is another set of skills which Mandy can and does utilize on a near-daily basis. Cheese at Pedrozo is made once a day, combining milk from the the evening before, and the morning milking.

While on the dairy tour, the care of the cows was being discussed when someone noticed a radio near the milking area. “Do you play Mozart for the cows for better milk production?” a gentleman had half-joked. Mandy responded that her father tended to tune in Rush Limbaugh, whereas Mandy plays NPR, so the cows hopefully get a well-rounded perspective while being milked [there's been no scientific study at Pedrozo of how this effects the milk].

Nowadays, besides selling and distributing their cheeses both locally and throughout the state to cheese shops and restaurants, Pedrozo’s cheese can be bought on-line and they have been shipping to individuals across the entirety of the United States. Since cheese is a mater of personal taste, I encourage you to try some. Kathy and I may be biased due to the Orland connection (we have relatives in Orland), but Pedrozo’s cheeses are excellent. Ask your local cheese store to carry it if they don’t, or get some online. Kathy bought a Pedrozo T-shirt while at the diary, and picked up some Black Butte Reserve, which I’ll be using a large amount of in a fondue this coming Saturday [Mandy; if you see this, I'd love to have your Dad's fondue recipe for the Black Butte Reserve. Could you post it in the comment section so everyone can get it?].

So, apparently you like this cheese, Bryce?

Yes inner cheese voice, I do. Plus, I feel that farmstead cheeses of this quality should have a wider audience. Don’t get me wrong; there’s plenty of cheese produced in large facilities that I enjoy, but as I always encourage; try as many cheeses as you can!

Completely unrelated; also while up in Orland Kathy and I got my old ‘67 Volkswagen Camper out and running. It hadn’t been started in about 4 years (this time; it’s been stored for 12 to 13 years all together). Though I’d love to turn it into a “Canyon of Cheese”-mobile, we may soon need to make some “adult” time & money decisions about the car’s future. It’s nickname is “the Toaster” and it had belonged to my grandparents.