Locally Grown

Artisan Cheese

One of the best, natural flavored cheeses in the world is created right here in Kansas by third generation dairy farmer, Jason Wiebe and his wife, Sherry.

You may be familiar with Good Natured Family Farms award-winning Cheddar Pepper Farmhouse Cheese, made by Wiebe Dairy. But now you can add another new favorite to your grocery cart – White Cheddar raw milk cheese. Aged for at least 90 days, this creamy-tasting cheese joins the Wiebe family’s growing list of popular homemade varieties.

Jason and Sheri have come a long way since they made their first batch of Farmhouse Cheese on their kitchen stove. For Jason, the journey started three generations ago on the farm where his mother was born and where he learned to raise Jersey/Holstein cows for the richest tasting milk. He lives on that same farm today with Sheri and their three children. The cows on Jason’s and Sheri’s farm graze on pesticide-free grass and are given no sub therapeutic antibiotics and no hormones. Jason milks his 100 cows in the same barn his grandfather used.

To be called “Farmhouse Cheese,” the cheese must come from the milk of cows raised on the farm and the cheese must be made on the farm. Sheri, who was born in Canada, remembered eating Farmhouse Cheese and decided to experiment with their Grade pasteurized milk. “I must admit, that first try in our kitchen wasn’t the best cheese I ever tasted, so we visited Farmhouse Cheese producers to get a better overview of the process,” Sheri said. That overview and a recipe from a family friend eventually led to success. They started with Mild Cheddar then added Colby and finally the award-winning Cheddar Pepper. “We wanted cheese we felt good about giving to our children,” Sheri said. “I wanted the same kind of cheese I ate when I was growing up.”

Today, in a complicated process that takes a full day at their USDA-inspected plant, the family creates fresh cheese from cows raised on surrounding pastures. It takes one gallon of milk to create one pound of their special Farmhouse Cheeses. It’s the only Farmhouse Cheese made in Kansas.

In the field, Jason steps over a rut left by the wagons traveling the Santa Fe Trail and looks at his herd. “I placed third place in the Wisconsin Cheese Maker’s Association Contest in 2005 and second place this year.” He offers his boyish smile, “I think given our efforts and dedication, we’ll place first next time.”

Taste this extraordinary locally-produced all natural cheese at your neighborhood Hen House Market or Balls’ Price Chopper stores.