The Best Texas Goat’s Cheese
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It’s safe to say, the Lone Star State is home to some standout cheeses (how long does cheese last?). With over 370 dairy farms, Texas has come to rank as one of the top five dairy-producing states. TexasRealFood highlights hundreds of brilliant Texan dairy farms in an ever-expanding promptuary, found here.
While many cheesemakers rely on local milk to create their cheeses (What wine goes well with cheese?), others are self-sufficient when it comes to producing milk. And there are some who will travel thousands of miles with their milking family in tow, following their heart back home to Texas.
It took homesick Texans Kathryn and Chadley some time and soul-searching to realize their true cheesemaking passions. By merging their careers in hospitality and food, they found their calling – one that included connecting community and local produce in a unique way. And with this, Cadence Creamery was born.
The newly married couple recently relocated to sunny Austin from Vermont, where Kathryn served as the lead cheesemaker for an award-winning goat dairy and Chadley focused on strengthening the roles of food, farming, and tourism in rural communities. Before arriving in Texas, they spent a year tasting cheeses together, exploring the nuances of their flavors and textures.
Talking about how Texas offers a wholly unique cheesemaking experience, the couple explains, “There are certainly more cheesemakers in Vermont than there are in Texas. The cheese scene and community are more developed simply because they have generations of knowledge and promotion behind them. However, Texas has tremendous potential to make world-class cheeses unique from other cheese regions in the United States. As we’ve seen with the growth and recognition of Texas winemakers, there is a culinary future here worth promoting.”
Kathryn and Chadley are also excited about the potential of incorporating more sustainable practices into their creamery and building a robust herding program.
“Goats, like other ruminants—deer and bighorn sheep—have massive potential in helping sustain Texas’ landscapes, especially as we adapt to a shifting climate,” Kathryn says.
Collaborating with Bee Tree Farm, the couple has a combined force of 40 dairy goats, ranging from Nubian and Alpine to Saanen. The “girls” forage freely on grounds provided by Bee Tree Farm, which have been leased by Cadence Creamery, and graze on alfalfa, supplemented with natural forage and high-quality grains.
What led you to pick goat’s cheese over the more traditional cow-milk cheeses?
“Kathryn cared for goats at an early age, and those memories are a big part of what led us down this path. Nothing against cows (Chadley grew up with beef cattle) – we just love goats. They are such beautiful, intelligent creatures that crave our love and attention and have such fierce strength and will. We think goat milk is the best milk and it makes phenomenal products, especially cheese.”
So, what goat milk offerings do you have for us this year?
“Well, as of now, we’re focusing on our freshest goat’s milk cheese yet, the Chevre, a salty and tangy feta, an Icelandic-style skyr, and a unique cajeta, which is a goat’s milk caramel!”
Where can people buy Cadence Creamery cheese?
“Our cheeses are available at Boggy Creek Farm and Antonelli’s Cheese Shop in Austin, at the Bee Tree Farm store in Manor, and can soon be delivered fresh to your door by Farmhouse Delivery.”
What’s the best advice you can give to a beginner cheesemaker?
“Eat more cheese! You can learn so much by simply trying various cheeses and talking to other cheesemakers. The people in this industry are so kind and often want to talk cheese.”
Kathryn and Chadley say the best thing about cheese is, “You can eat it. You can cook with it. You can serve it to your most discerning guest, or you can toss it in your forbidden midnight concoction. Cheese doesn’t judge. It doesn’t just pair with the latest seasonal jam; it pairs with every part of your life.”
What challenges do you face as a newly established business here in Texas?
“Switching between all the “hats” we wear (accounting, marketing, etc.) in addition to milking, making cheese, and caring for the animals has been a challenge. We’re also currently leasing our facilities to start Cadence Creamery and are looking for a place to give our business a long-term home in Central Texas.
We are lucky, though, to spend every day with the animals and to give their milk a place in people’s homes. The challenges are what give us a chance to be creative!”
We know you have just started, but what are your aspirations for Cadence Creamery, say, five years from now?
“We would like to have our own farm and be managing a larger herd of goats. We are also working towards offering aged cheeses (What wine goes well with aged cheeses?) year-round and a small selection of sweet treats made with goat milk. We plan to have our products available across Texas and even the US for those products we can ship!
Cadence Creamery also has kids (baby goats) for purchase this spring. So, if you’re interested, get in touch here!
Last year, new statewide rules made it easier for dairies to distribute raw milk. Many cheesemakers and mongers supported the move, as it opened up a new revenue stream for the Texas dairy industry. Read more about it here.
If you’ve tried Cadence Creamery’s products or like the sound of them, share your thoughts in the comments below!
Looking for hormone-free milk in Texas? Check out these five raw milk dairy farms offering natural, nutritious options with no added hormones and minimal processing.
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