Goat Song: Living with Goats

I just read Brad Kessler’s Goat Song:  A Seasonal Life, a Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese in just a few hours.  I couldn’t put it down.  That’s saying a lot when we’re talking about a book that focuses on goats and cheesemaking but these are two topics that I’m keenly interested in right now.  I keep thinking I’d like a couple of goats but am not sure how dedicated I’d be to milking them twice a day for half of each year.  Just the kid’s routine drives me crazy.  Am I ready to commit myself this much to another creature?  To making my own cheese?

I feel much more close to saying yes after reading Kessler’s book.  He makes goat herding sound downright idealic and it’s not because he hasn’t included the low-down on the stinky side of goat raising, he’s just tapped into that instinct most humans have to be close to our food source.

You can hear him talk about living with goats here: http://www.onpointradio.org/2009/08/close-to-goats

Making Soft Cheese

I spent all day Saturday at Homestead Heritage making soft cheese.  It was the most fun I’ve had in a while!  There were 12 of us from all walks of life–some who had made cheese before and some who probably hadn’t stepped in a kitchen, ever.  The disparity in our skills and knowledge was fun since it was an intro class and led to the sense of community that permeates everything the folks at Homestead Heritage do.

the herb cheese log

So what did we make?  Here’s a quick run-down from memory.  I’d have to consult my notes to give you the full break-down:

1.  butter

2.  cream cheese

3.  sour cream

4.  buttermilk

5.  cottage cheese

6.  Feta

7.  mozzarella

8.  herbed cheese logs

9.  yogurt

10.  ricotta

11. labaneh

12.  and stuff to do with the whey left over!

One of our instructors making cheese

I bought some of the required materials that I don’t keep at home, like rennet, and now need to find a source for raw milk since I don’t yet have goats.  Interested in taking a class?  Find out more at Homestead’s School of Homesteading.

Now that I’ve taken the pre-req, I’ll sign up for the hard-cheese making class.  Woohoo–cheddar, here I come.