Small-Scale Dairy

Gianaclis Caldwell and her family own Pholia Farm, in Oregon, where for many years they operated an off-grid, raw milk cheese dairy. She is the author of the award-winning Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking, as well as other books on cheesemaking and running a dairy. Applying a holistic, organic management approach to the health of her goats comes naturally for Gianaclis: She was raised on an organic farm; her parents were chiropractors; and she pursued a career in nursing. Her aged, raw milk cheeses have been recognized and applauded by America’s foremost authorities on cheese, and Gianaclis has traveled extensively across the country presenting workshops on cheesemaking and troubleshooting goat health problems. She continues to teach in-person cheesemaking classes on the farm.

Booklist-"Many an urban or suburban dweller has dreamed about producing milk that comes not from a bottle but from one’s own animal, be it cow, goat, or sheep. Launching such an operation may daunt, but, as Caldwell details, it’s far from an impossible challenge given the proper resources, knowledge, and pluck. Even a few animals can produce enough milk daily to bottle one’s own, or process it into salable secondary products such as cheese or yogurt. Selecting, feeding, and sheltering dairy animals are complex processes to get actual milking underway. Local and national governments closely regulate production and distribution of dairy products with an eye to protecting the public from all manner of transmittable diseases. Learning about these regulations and regional variances is critical to commercial viability. With burgeoning interest in locavorism, this book may prove to have a much larger audience than one might anticipate.”