The Evolution of a Micro-Dairy…Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery

By Chanda Lindsay, Cayuga County CCE

Rose Marie Belforti and her husband, Tim Wallbridge, dreamed about having a small farm in the country. In 1999, this dream became a reality when they purchased a farm house and 12 acres in Ledyard. Their original thoughts were to have a large garden and possibly a few animals. Never did they think that they would soon be undertaking a cheese making venture! After building a barn and laying out a pasture, they purchased a small- make that very small- herd of Irish Dexter cattle and started milking them. Today, the farm is producing and marketing a rare variety of raw-milk kefir cheese- a unique, semi-soft cheese. How did they get there? The Cayuga County Local Foods/Local Markets Discussion Group paid a visit to the farm in June to get some insight and ideas.

The beginning:
The family developed a vision of what kind of farm that they wanted. They researched various breeds of cattle and finally settled on Dexters. Irish Dexter Cattle are a heritage, multi-purpose breed- meaning that they are not very common these days, and that they were bred to be used for milk, meat and draft. Dexters were appealing because of their small size, and high quality milk. Having only 12 acres, they thought it best to think small. They believe very strongly in wholesome, healthy milk- produced with a minimum of inputs and a low environmental impact.

A unique product:
Kefir grains are a type of living, beneficial, microbial bacteria. They have been used for centuries by traditional peoples to culture milk- promoting good health and longevity. Kefir grains propagate naturally when immersed in milk, making them an ideal, sustainable natural resource. Rose discovered kefir when researching alternative foods because of long term food allergies. Prior to the Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery, kefir grains had never been applied to commercial cheese production.

Utilizing a grant for product development:
They applied for a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) producer grant in 2005 and received funding for the project in July of 2006. They worked with Cornell Small Farms Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County and NY FarmNet to develop their proposal. The plan was to upscale a home recipe to a commercial process for Kefir cheese using authentic living Kefir grains. In cooperation with the Cornell University Food Processing & Development Laboratory, they set out to establish a standard for the new Kefir cheese. The result was an authentic kefir cheese- made with raw milk, containing full cream and aged for 60 days or more.

While it all sounds very simple- the entire process actually took a great deal of thought, time and energy. When she started milking the cows, Rose made kefir cheese for the family’s use in her kitchen. When they started to build up too much cheese for the family to use, she looked at other options. She began talking with NY State milk inspectors about the rules and regulations for setting up a cheese making operation. As they started designing the dairy and discussing the cheese-making process, it was clear that they would need help getting started. Upon reading the instructions for the SARE grant, Rose realized that the grant fit with their desire to produce something that would both promote sustainable farming and provide a model for other farmers.

According to Rose, the first thing a person needs to know before applying for a grant is whether the grant is targeted for what you want to do. Your project must be a good fit with the objectives of the grant. Another tip is to make sure that you read all the instructions, and answer every question as thoroughly as you can. Grant readers want a well written, clearly written and concise statement of what you want to do. Above all, Rose states, make sure that you know what the focus of the grant is and are able to very clearly convey how your proposal matches the grant’s objectives. Developing a business plan was critical to helping them prepare for writing the grant. Having a business plan in place helped to clarify their goals and provide a realistic view of their financial status.

The dairy:
Setting up a dairy was a challenge for someone who was not raised in the dairy life.
They worked extremely closely with the NYS Ag and Market inspectors to plan every step. As Rose said, it is important that what is being built is in line with the rules and regulations- you don't want to have to go back and do it again! Along the way, there were all kinds of set backs, delays, and failures in cheese production. Because the process is so new and different, there was no template to follow and no recipe to consult with.

One relatively unique management practice is that they keep the calves with their moms for as long as they can. That means less milk and less cheese. However, they feel the sacrifice is important, not only for the welfare of the animals, but because they want to promote a new model for harvesting milk. According to Rose, “Cows are the ones who make the milk, and we want to respect them, and give them a quality life for as long as they have been genetically designed to calve and produce milk.”

The future:
As far as the future goes, it takes a long time to become a cheese maker. Not only is it a craft, but it is also a fine art. Although Rose is just getting started, she looks forward to many years of handcrafting kefir cheese, perfecting her recipe and raising quality Dexter cattle.

Chanda Lindsay
Agriculture Resource Educator
CCE Cayuga County
248 Grant Ave
Auburn, NY 13021
315-255-1183

 

Other articles about our Dairy and Farm

| A Dexter Dairy | Finger Lakes Cheese Atlas | Dexter Kefir ALBC Article |
| Cornel Article on Small Farms Dairy | Creamline Article | Evolution of the Micro Dairy |