The Best Goat Cheeses in the US and How to Eat Them

Spring is the season of chèvre, so let’s celebrate accordingly

Fresh goat cheese with Quince & Apple raspberry rose jam and Rustic Bakery shortbread cookies

Hello cheese sluts!

What a whirlwind it‘s been, eh? We‘re really not OK at the moment, and I know I‘ve been starting almost every newsletter with that sentiment, but I don‘t want to normalize what‘s going on around us (aka the rise of fascism). So, I‘m going to continue acknowledging our collective reality and seguing into talking about cheese.

Anyway, though many of us are feeling drained and dysregulated by the current events that have been slowly crushing our little souls, outside, spring has officially sprung. Winter’s bitter death grip is releasing, blessing us with a desperately yearned for reprieve. Green grasses have sprouted forth from the earth, so lush and juicy I nearly wish myself a goat with a four chamber stomach so that I may feast and transform this flora into fuel for my tired, tired body.

Nature’s rebirth brings warming days, blossoming buds, and a new cheesemaking season. Cows, sheep, and goats are returning to the pasture and giving birth to their young, thus starting their lactation cycles. As they graze upon the fresh grasses, flowers, and herbs, the verdant flavors of spring infuse into their milk and the resulting cheeses. While the vernal flora reveals itself in all spring cheeses, I’m particularly drawn to how they manifest in goat’s milk cheeses, conjuring clean, lemony flavors and a cloud-like texture unique to chèvre’s protein and fat structures.

Fresh Chèvre from my favorite creamery, Prairie Fruits Farm

A log of fresh goat cheese from Capriole Creamery, sliced into coins

Indulging in fresh goat‘s cheeses is one of my favorite ways to celebrate spring‘s arrival. However, it‘s important to note that this transformation is unique to seasonal goat dairies, where the animals take the winter off from milking and spend the cold months pregnant but otherwise resting. A lot of dairies stagger breeding and lactation cycles so there are always goats to milk and cheese to make. The vast majority of creameries also do not pasture their animals. This makes for a product that’s available yearround and often more econimically friendly, but it’s also divorced from nature’s cycles. They lose the magic that only spring can bestow, where the cheeses reflect the soul of the reawakened earth from which they‘re born.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite pasture-raised, seasonal goat cheesemakers, as well as nationally available brands. After the paywall, I’ve also included my favorite goat cheese pairings and three chèvre recipes: Lemon Poppyseed Goat Cheese Scones, Whipped Chèvre Dip with Bacon-Frizzled Scallions, and One-Pot Spring Pasta. I hope they bring you glimmers of joy and a reason to celebrate spring amidst the collective grief of the present day.

Wishing you all a happy Cheester! Cheesus bless!

🖤 Erika

The goats at Prairie Fruits Farm in Champagne, Illinois

The Best Goat Cheese Creameries in the US

Here’s a list of small, seasonal, and pasture-raised goat cheesemakers throughout America. Please let me know if I’ve left anyone out and I’ll be sure to add them. I highly recommend sourcing local goat cheese, because it‘s more sustainable and also connects you to the land on which you live.

Midwest

• Prairie Fruits Farm in Champagne, Illinois (available online)

• Idyll Farms in Northport, Michigan (find out where to buy here)

• Shadow Brook Farm’s Dutch Girl Creamery in Lincoln, Nebraska (available online)

• Door County Creamery in Sister Bay, Wisconsin

East Coast

• Nettle Meadow Farm in Thurman, New York

• Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (where to buy here)

• Doe’s Leap in East Fairfield, Vermont (available online)

• Ice House Farm in Goshen, Vermont

• Blue Ledge Farm in Salisbury, Vermont (available online)

• Sage Farm Goat Dairy in Stowe, Vermont (where to buy here)

• Caromont Farm in Charlottesville, Virginia (where to buy here)

West Coast

• Tomales Farmstead Creamery in Tomales, California

• Fraga Farm in Gales Creek, Oregon (where to buy here)

• Lum Farm in Eastsound, Washington

• Tieton Farm & Creamery in Tieton, Washington (where to buy here)

• Lost Peacock Creamery in Olympia, Washington

South

• Southern Maids Dairy in Franklinton, Louisiana

• Pure Luck Dairy in Dripping Springs, Texas (only available in Texas)

Hawaii

• Honomu Goat Dairy in Honomu, Hawaii

• Surfing Goat Dairy in Kula, Hawaii

• Kauai Kunana Dairy in Kilauea, Hawaii

If I can’t find any of the creameries listed above, I’ll buy from Capriole, Vermont Creamery, or Cypress Grove. Those brands are reliable and available at nationwide retailers.