About one mile North of our RV park (Mt Princeton RV Park) in Buena Vista, CO is a goat dairy farm where they make and sell cheese. Lots of really, really tasty cheese!
Jumpin' Good Goat Dairy is a family owned and operated farm, cheese making factory, cheese shop AND they give tours a couple of days a week. The farm is committed to sustainable agriculture and humane treatment of their livestock.
Run by a mother and her two daughters, with only a handful of other part time help, the farm has 100 milking goats, three bucks and numerous baby goats. There is also a cow whose milk will be used to create new types of cheese as a comparison with the goat cheese, a pig who will end up being tasty product sold in the onsite store, a few horses who are ridden in local rodeos by the daughters, and even three llamas who protect the goats from marauding coyotes!
There is a small fee for the farm tour which is led by one of the daughters. We toured the milking and cheese making facilities, the cheese aging cave, and met the goats. Our tour guide had obviously spent her entire life in the family business and knew everything about the process from goat husbandry to getting the cheese on the shelf. It was fascinating!
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| This photo was taken as we left the farm, rain was heading our way! |
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13 goats can be milked at once at this milking station.
That's Dawn Jump, owner and cheese maker extraordinaire! |
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| Viewed through a window we can see the cheese making facility and a couple of wheels of freshly made cheese. |
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| The Cheese Cave |
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| There were two of these rooms full of cheese wheels up to five years old. |
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Our tour guide describing the aging process.
She grew up in the business and was very knowledgeable. |
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| The milking goats. |
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| We got up close and personal with the baby goats. |
After the tour we got to taste the many types of cheese at the on site store. Everything was delicious and we left with a feta, a parmesan, a fiesta chevre, some spicy cheese curds and some local spicy pickles.
We really enjoyed this experience and we learned a lot. Highly recommended!
I love the photo of you smothered with baby goats :0
ReplyDeleteBox Canyon Mark
PS...how do you find all these interesting places? I never knew about the cheese factory. Did you taste a difference in the goat cheese?
I've started doing a "things to do in X" google whenever we get to a new place. Trip Advisor usually lists peoples recommendations for each town.
DeleteI was amazed at the variety of cheeses that could be made with goat milk. And no, they did not taste different than a "traditional" cheese made with cows milk. Every cheese we tasted was delicious and some were absolutely incredible! This farm really makes artisan cheeses and they are getting orders from all over the world.
Oh wow I love goat cheese! This sounds like such a great, family run operation. What fun! And how cool that you got to hold a baby goat. Looks like they sell their products at City Market stores throughout the state so I'll be sure to seek some out. I've never had goat cheese parmesan and I am intrigued.
ReplyDeleteHow neat! That's awesome they let you take pictures AND pet their goats!
ReplyDeleteLove!
Chantal
Next to rocks and saguaro, cheese factories are a favorite. I love the family operation. Lots of samples...yum!! How adorable are you with those goats!! It is hard to leave without buying one of each. Nice change of pace for you!
ReplyDeleteMmmmm.....cheese. And baby goats! I'm sold! Deas wants to hit Buena Vista on our next swing the CO....so we'll definitely check this place out!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great place to visit! I am a big goat cheese aficionado, but have never been to a goat cheese farm. I know there are several near us here in Oregon, so I now have something new to add to my list of places to check out. Fun photos!
ReplyDeleteWe will definitely do this tour for we like goat cheese.
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