Now that’s a cow! This week on Food For Thought I featured George Boyes and Debra Amrein-Boyes, owners and operators of The Farm House Natural Cheeses in Agassiz. They talked about their decision to sell off some milk quota in order to save the family farm and diversify their operation.
George and Debra treat their cows like princesses, and George’s knowledge of breeding and what he should feed the cows to gain optimal results in cheese production is essential to their success.
I loved the cheeses I tried, including some goat’s milk cheese they currently make with animals they own but are pastured elsewhere. They’re in the midst of moving the goats onto the farm to centralize operations. Debra also makes butter from the cow’s milk, but I didn’t get to taste any while I was there, because, as George says, ‘it’s as scarce as hen’s teeth!’
The Farm House Natural Cheeses is part of the District of Kent’s Circle Farm Tour of Agassiz. If you can’t make it out to the Fraser Valley from Vancouver, you can also find a pretty good selection of Debra’s cheeses at les amis du FROMAGE in Vancouver. To listen to today’s program in streaming Real Audio click click here.
