Creamery

Hello cheese enthusiasts! This month I wanted to share a couple of fun cheese pairings to help get you through this last full month of winter! Also, HINT HINT these are great for a stay at home date night, friends/family get together or as gifts for Valentine’s Day, birthdays or anniversaries. So come see us at the Ag District and grab a couple of these pairings to try at home! Be sure to tag us in all of your posted pairing fun!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and has a happy and healthy new year! As we begin this calendar year, I always find it fun and fulfilling to look back at a few statistics from 2020. Our fan-favorite cheese of the year was our Nottingham Gouda. Aged 10-12 months, this golden-yellow cheese is creamy and sweet with notes of toasted hazelnuts and butter. A nice crunch of crystallization can be found all throughout this well-aged cheese. Try pairing with your favorite red wine!

We sure have been spoiled by great weather this year! The cows could not be happier with the abundance of green grass and mild days. Thinking back to the winter of 2018, we already had 7 inches of snow on the ground by mid-November! Here is a picture of one of my favorite Jersey calves, you’ll notice this cute little calf is wearing what we call a blanket or jacket.

There is a growing love for cheese in America that is evident in more ways than one. Cheese & charcuterie boards are now a must for any gathering and of course that artistic touch must be shown off on social media for all to drool over. A recent statistic from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that Americans eat on average 38 lbs of cheese per year. This is nearly 10 more pounds of cheese when compared to 20 years ago when consumption was only 28 pounds per capita. That’s a lot of cheese!

Did you know it takes around 10 POUNDS of milk to make just 1 pound of cheese?! To put this into perspective, a gallon of milk weighs 8.6 pounds, which means more than 1 gallon of milk is needed per pound of cheese. That's a lot of milk!

As we transition from the long, hot days of summer to the cool, breezy days of fall, our hard working ladies are looking forward to the much more favorable weather ahead. Did you know the comfort zone of dairy cattle is between 41 and 68 F°? This means that at any temperature above this range a cow experiences what is known as “heat stress.”

Have you heard?! Our blue cheese is finally here! King Richard Blue, aptly named for its English origin, has a mild, earthy, blue flavor, with a creamy, melt in your mouth texture and salty finish. This cheese sure will add both another flavor profile and a touch of color to any cheese or charcuterie board with its abundance of BLUE.

June is dairy month! 2020 marks the 83rd annual celebration of this nutritious and delicious category of products! Dairy products including milk, yogurt and CHEESE provide important nutritional benefits through high-quality proteins, vitamins A and D as well as minerals such as calcium to keep your bones strong and healthy. Did you know that there are 8 grams of protein in just ONE, 8 oz cup of milk? Not to mention milk is the freshest product you can buy at grocery stores near you, from farm to store in just 48 hours!

Boy!...What a difference a month makes! Last month we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring and now many of us are sequestered at home doing our best to stave off the spread of the COVID-19 virus. These are difficult and uncertain times to be sure, but I've also seen some good things in the midst of this tragedy. Rather than bustling past in crowded spaces without acknowledging each other, people are passing 6 feet away and giving a nod or saying hello. This is what it means for our operation here at the Ag District:

Locksley Farmstead Cheese is excited to announce that our cheeses have been recognized among those of the Virginia’s Finest products. You will now notice a gold and black or red, white and blue sticker seal with the Virginia’s Finest checkmark of approval on the top right-hand side of our labels. The Virginia's Finest trademark signifies that agricultural food products have met quality standards established by industries and approved by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. We are very excited as we continue to work hard in producing high-quality milk and in turn crafting delicious artisan cheeses.