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Sweet Grass Dairy
by Raymond Hook, cheese guru

This is a story of love, not cheese.

Nestled into the South Georgia countryside near Thomasville sits a dairy with something few others can boast, a heart. Sweet Grass Dairy, the name itself evokes visions of rolling green pastures and brown-eyed cows named Daisy. Owned and operated by a small family with a background in traditional American dairy farming, Sweet Grass Dairy is now steeped in a different kind of tradition, one with a long history from the opposite side of the globe.

Al & Desiree Wehner once ran a typical American dairy with a sizable herd of cows that produced an even more sizable amount of milk. The dairy operated like a well-oiled machine with over 1000 cows, herded daily from concrete slab to concrete slab with little consideration for their personal cow comfort and emotional well-being. It was this type of operation that allowed the Wehners to win numerous awards for their high milk production and earned them a level of prestige in the dairy community.

When Al and Desiree were ready to create their own dairy, they made a conscious decision to make a serious philosophical change in their lives and the lives of their cows. Thumbing their noses at “progress” in the dairy farming industry, they became one of the first American dairies to take up the practice of New Zealand rotational grazing. They also exchanged their Holsteins for Jerseys and reduced the herd down to just 500 cows. This reduced herd is rotated from pasture to pasture on a strict schedule. Rotational grazing allows the cows to have consistently plentiful forage, while the pastures are allowed to maintain healthy plant growth between grazing sessions. This sustainable farming method works with the land to maintain healthy soil, water and plant life. Rotational grazing is not only environmentally sound, but also produces happier and healthier cows, which ultimately lead to better tasting, higher quality, more nutritional milk.

These days the cows at Sweet Grass Dairy spend no more than an hour a day on concrete. The rest of their time is spent doing just what cows like to do best, wandering expansive pastures and chewing on acres upon acres of grass. Most traditional dairies consistently have what they call a “hospital herd,” or a group of recovering sick cows. Yet Sweet Grass Dairy hasn’t had a sick cow in over three months. Not only do their cows live a healthier, happier life, they also live a longer, more productive life. The land remains naturally green and healthy, without the use of harmful pesticides, and the cows prosper without being pumped full of antibiotics and hormones.

Al & Desiree truly followed their hearts into this endeavor, enduring much ridicule from their fellow dairy farmers. Yet the proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the milk. Filled with the desire to show consumers the true difference in milk produced by happy cows, the Wehners returned from a trip to Europe with a brand new plan, cheese! Having grown up with plastic wrapped singles, Desiree never had a taste for cheese, but their trip to Europe changed all of that. “I tried so much cheese, I was sick of it for a month after our return. But I came home with the realization of what made French cheeses so good – it’s the quality of the milk, first and foremost!” Desiree explains passionately.

The excellent goat’s milk cheeses that abound in France first sparked Desiree’s newfound passion for this delectable dairy food. Always ones to follow their hearts, the Wehners decided to add a herd of goats to their dairy repertoire. These happy animals now roam the forests and pastures of Sweet Grass Dairy enjoying all that makes a goat’s life great.

Finally equipped with a way to market their unique milk to customers, the Wehners set about learning how to make cheese. After an educational visit to Sweet Home Farm, a small dairy in southern Alabama, they were ready to begin handcrafting their own fine cheeses.

Now making fourteen types of cheeses, with both cow’s milk and goat’s milk varieties, Sweet Grass Dairy has found its true calling, offering customers a delicious way to experience the warmth that is inherent when one has a true sense of connection with their food, where it came from and who made it. This labor of love has been embraced by the Wehner’s daughter Jessica and her husband Jeremy Little, who have returned to the farm full of excitement. Jessica has taken on many of the business aspects of Sweet Grass Dairy, while her husband has warmed to the artisan cheesemaking practices. This venture is truly a family-farming affair.

Now only in their third year of cheesemaking, Sweet Grass Dairy has been nationally recognized at the 20th Annual American Cheese Society Conference in San Francisco, Ca.. The competition at this prestigious annual conference was stiff, with over 200 of the top American cheesemakers from across the country entering over 400 different cheeses. Sweet Grass Diary received five awards, including two first place, to go with two from last year, for different varieties, this year for excellence in a variety of cheeses made from both happy cow’s and happy goat’s milk.

Using only proven biological methods on their land, providing their animals with a happy and healthy way of life and always placing quality before quantity has made Sweet Grass Dairy a true anomaly among dairies. But this is a story of love, not cheese and love is the one true ingredient that makes their milk flow sweetly and their cheeses taste like heaven.

Sweet Grass Dairy Gold medal winners for 2003

Fresh Goat Cheese - Sweet and creamy, with lots of floral tones, great in recipes or on its own. I love this cheese with Fuji apples and a glass of Mitchell 2001 Watervale Riesling from Australia. The sweetness of the apple, the citrus flavors of the wine, and the herbal essence of the goat cheese make an outstanding combination.

Clayburne Cheddar – a hand made cheddar aged less than a year. Hand milled with a nice sharpness and a classic crumble. A wonderful rich creamy texture that comes with being aged in 40 pound blocks wrapped in cheesecloth. Try this with a nice grilled sausage and Jest Red, a good, modest priced red wine from northern California.

Beloved local cheese consultant Raymond Hook.

Click here for Raymond Hook's Bio