Ed Lobaugh, Co-Owner at Old Windmill Dairy
http://theoldwindmilldairy.com
Sante Fe, NM
What kind of cheese do you make?
We make a variety of goat and cow milk artisan cheeses. We are known for Chevre a soft goat cheese that we make in 26 flavors varying from: savory, sweet and spicy such as Pesto N Pine Nuts, Figs n Cream and Chili N Hot made with New Mexico Green Chili. From there we branch into bloomy rinds and semi hard cheeses. We have an award winning smoked goat milk gouda known as Sandia Sunrise Smoked Gouda, a mild cheddar manchego marketed as McIntosh cave aged goat cheese, and Manzano blue moon a cambozola brie style blue cheese. Our cow variety cheeses consists of Jacks, Cheddar, Cheddar Curds, Bries, Cream Cheese, Gouda and Blue cheese. They are not your typical cheeses as our goudas are made with local beers and wines. We also make a caraway gouda and cumin gouda. Our Cow Jacks are made with Habanero and Apricot or a 4 peppercorns. We are known for our local flare of using New Mexico peppers so it is an obvious choice that we make a green chile brie and a chipotle brie.
What are the trends in cheese production?
As Michael and I become more seasoned in the business we noticed that American and developing a taste for more robust and flavorful cheeses. That has why we have focused on making a unique Cow Blue cheese that has fudge like texture and sharp blue taste. Another favorite is our Ash ripened and veined Goat or Cow milk wheel of cheese. It looks like marble when you cut into the wheel. Some people mistake it for blue cheese.
Does it matter what you feed the cows/sheep or goats?
Indeed it does matter what we feed our milking animals. We noticed a big difference when a milk supplier we used fed her goats already brewed grains from a distillery. The milk smelled soured and the end cheese product always taste bitter. We had to stop using that supplier. Our own milks is always sweet and creamy which we attribute to the dairy grain mixture, minerals and alfalfa. Mesquite beans and certain vegetation can result in a bitter milk flavor.
What is the difference between organic and non-organic cheese?
The difference between organic and non-organic can be a very complex and difficult subject. However a simple explanation is mostly in the feed. Using only certified organic feed for your animals and using certified approved cleaning products in your plant as well as using certified organic ingredients in your cheese will result in an organic cheese.
Please tell me a bit about your experience with cheese?
As a consumer we love cheese. We spend many of our vacations going to local shops and farmers markets to sample the variety of cheeses and to seek inspiration. I love cheeses that range from a sweet mild product to an aged aromatic pungent cheese.
How does one become an expert?
There are classes for certification offered by American Cheese Society. But a true expert has years of experience visiting farms, seeking knowledge from other professionals who grade and judge cheese. Expertise evolves over times with networking with producers, cheese lovers, people in the industry and it is an assimilation of knowledge.
What are some new trends in cheese?
What we are noticing at the farmers markets and with wholesale sales there is increase in demand with more artisanal, handmade, small batched, farmstead cheeses. People are seeking to have the experience they had in Europe or on a small dairy farm. They want to taste something unique and get to know the producer.
What is the most popular varieties of cheese?
The most popular cheese is very open question. This will all depend on the demographics you serve. As a dairy person that markets our own cheese, we see higher demand for sweet variety chevre in Southern New Mexico. While in Northern New Mexico people want more savory chevre. The most common denominator of all the demographics is everyone loves smoked gouda and there second favorite is blue cheese.
What is raw milk cheese? Why is it hard to get in the USA?
Raw milk cheese is simply a cheese made without the milk being pasteurized. You can get this in several forms. There are cheeses on the market where the milk was not pasteurized but the cheese was. So this can be very confusing to consumers. However what most people think of as a raw milk cheese is a cheese that has not been pasteurized in any stage. Our experience as a dairy producer is the overseeing entities that provide inspections and audits are very cautious about raw milk cheeses. In fact these entities can be very persuasive in a financial manner to producer to not produce raw milk cheeses.
What are your five favorite cheeses?
Creamy Jack, Sharp Cheddar, Old Windmill Dairy NM Blue cheese, Old Windmill Dairy Traditional Brie, Humboldt Fog
What are your favorite serving options for cheese?
We love to create unique artisan cheese plates integrated with fruit, unique crackers, picked vegetables.
Are vegan cheeses popular? How can it be called cheese?
I can’t even begin to go there.
What is the biggest mistake people make when buying cheese?
People don't know how to store cheeses. It is our job to educate consumers about variety of cheeses and the different ways of caring for the cheese. People often believe bries and bloomy rinds will be stable for weeks. When in fact theses cheeses are living and changing. They tend to become more pungent over time. People often freak out when they see mold on a cheese, when in fact most molds add another dimension of flavor.
What is a way to not annoy a cheese seller when making an order?
One way to improve consumer satisfaction is to discuss what the cheese is going to be used for. What types of flavors does the consumer like so the seller can make satisfying suggestions. One way to annoy a seller is to ask give me your best.
How can someone store cheese to make it last longer?
This could take a few pages. Bries like to breathe so wrapping them a paper that allows outgassing and moisture absorption will improve the life of bloomy rinds. While storing semi hard cheeses air interacting with the surface of cheese is what produces mold. These cheeses need to be tightly wrapped with a plastic wrap. Another sure way to extend them is to coat a cheese cloth with a lard and then wrap the cheese especially if you are cheddar.
What is the most exotic cheese you have ever tried?
I would have to stay Humboldt fog.
What are some tips you would give to someone who doesn’t know too much about cheese?
I would recommend to start simple and not buy too many cheeses at once. If they are truly intrigued I would recommend a simple cheese coarse or a food and cheese pairing coarse.
What are the health benefits of cheese?
Cheese is full of protein, calcium, minerals essential fats and calories that sustain a person who is active. Goat cheese does not have allergens like cow’s milk cheeses and the molecular structure of goats milk is much easier on our digestive system. There for most of us have fewer digestive issues.
What do you think National Cheese Purchase Sacrifice Day means? (It doesn’t seem anyone does, so there isn’t a wrong answer?)
I am taking it means buy local, avoid commodity cheeses. It is goal to inspire people to try their local cheeses and support their local economy.
Humbolt Fog Cheese
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