Cheese

Perhaps better than any other product made on the premises, cheese translates the character of this place at a particular point in time.  The Blackberry Farm Dairy began in 2004 with the purchase of 12 East Friesian dairy sheep. While our flock has grown to over 60 since then, our focus continues to be producing the finest ewes’ milk cheese possible and doing so in the traditional manner and on a small farmstead scale. Recipes and cheese making techniques have been developed to reflect the qualities unique to this farm, to embody and emote the terroir here in the Appalachian Mountains.

The cheeses we produce change with the weather. The first of these cheeses to be produced is the small(2-3oz),  mold ripened cheese called Violet.  This cheese is produced from the first milk of the year while the ewes are grazing the new growth grasses. The milk is less acidic and slightly lower in fat during this period of time. The rich,yielding Violet is pungent and full flavored with a white mold rind produced by penicillium candidum.

As the weather begins to warm, a second soft cheese is produced.  The milk gradually becomes richer and the wide variety of forage gives the milk a slightly floral character, Trefoil is made. This pasteurized cheese is slightly firmer and more delicately flavored with a pungent edge to the rind. The cheese is hand washed to develop its rind each day for three to four weeks while aging.  Once released, it can be enjoyed for three to four more weeks.

Once we truly move into the summer months, when Trefoil is no longer made, the hearty grasses and legumes fill the pastures.  The ewes’ milk continues to gain natural acidity and a higher fat percentage. This is the perfect time to produce a cheese with a character defined by natural blue culture (penicillium roquefourti)  with the salty iodine background so perfect with a rich wine. Blackberry blue is aged for two to four months gaining intensity with each passing week.
As summer comes to and end and the nights begin to cool the ewes become selective, only eating the most nutritious plants and grasses, yielding more and more concentrated milk. The cheese produced now must be able to capture and focus the amazing quality of flavor of the milk. We do this by producing a hard cheese aged a minimum of 120 days named Singing Brook. This boule shaped firm cheese is overflowing with the complex caramel richness only ewes milk can provide. Its layers of flavor are almost endless. Singing Brook is mature at six months of age and the flavor continues to improve for more than a year.

Bees & Honey

Like other elements of the farm, bees play an integral role and provide a tremendous product that is savored by guests.  Blackberry Farm's bee hives are comprised of Italian bees.  The hives occupy two places on property.  Both places afford the bees with ample sources of pollen to produce their sweet nectar.  The main source of nectar for the fall harvest will come from sourwood trees. Sourwood trees are mostly found in wooded areas and bloom the end of June through August. They produce a beautiful flower that resembles a bell. Sourwood honey is considered to be the best tasting honey and is known for its sweet, spicy, anise aroma and pleasant aftertaste.  With hives located near the garden, the bees will busily be working in the Spring to produce honey that is a mix of wild flower and tulip poplar, all the while helping to propagate the plants growing in the garden. 

Preserves and Breadbaking

Inspired by the region’s rich culinary tradition, the FarmStead's artisans prepare fresh preserves and hearthstone breads in the classic southern style. featuring locally grown ingredients prepared elegantly and simply, Blackberry’s small-batch preserves pay homage to the true meaning of abundance with stewardship and respect for the orchard’s natural goodness. through recipes passed down by our Appalachian forebears, our artisans revive the craft of "putting by" with each jar that’s sealed. using only the highest quality ingredients, many of which are harvested on our farm, blackberry’s assortment of fresh breads is baked daily in traditional brick ovens. baking with exceptional care and experienced hands, our artisans are proud to share their passion with guests, both during meals and during tours and programs at the FarmStead's bakery.