What is “A Day in the Whey”?

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at making cheese? Milking cows? Would you like to learn the cheesemaking process from cow to cheese?

We are offering a unique opportunity. Arrive at the farm in time to help finish with the morning milking and then go into the cheese plant and turn that mornings milking into cheese!

About Keswick Creamery at Carrock Farm, LLC.

Keswick Creamery is located on our family’ dairy farm in the beautiful Cumberland Valley, near Shippensburg, PA. We have been milking registered Jersey cows since 1974, and have farmed here in the valley since 1978.

In 2001 Melanie and Mark started making aged raw milk cheeses on the farm with milk from our own cows. In 2006 we purchased a pasteurizer and started making natural yogurt and some fresh cheeses including ricotta and quark in addition to the eleven varieties of aged, raw milk cheeses. Our cheeses are sold at select restaurants and producer-only farmers markets in South Central PA and Washington, DC.

Our farm is managed using organic practices. We have never used synthetic growth hormones (rBST) on our cows. Our farm consists of 100 acres of hay and pasture that we rotationally graze.

Our cows are well-fed, well cared for and well loved. The nourishing milk they provide makes healthful dairy products for people to enjoy.

Cost: $100 per person

Includes a light breakfast, a hearty farm lunch and a 2lb cheese selection to take home. You will assist in making a batch of aged raw milk cheese and get a personal tour of the farm. If you like you may arrive early enough to help with the morning milking and feeding.

A Day in the Whey is available most weeks on Thursdays or Fridays. No holidays please.

To allow for the best learning atmosphere we will schedule no more than 3 people for a day.

About the Farmers:

Susan has been a full-time dairy farmer since 1974. Her knowledge of dairy cows and grazing is far-reaching. In addition she has raised 4 children and handled the farm bookkeeping as well as managing day to day tasks on Carrock Farm. Her hobbies are horseback riding and gardening.

Melanie grew up “in the barn” and always loved the cows best. After graduating from Va Tech with a degree in dairy science she returned to the home farm with her husband Mark. They founded Keswick Creamery in 2000 and started production and farmers markets in 2001. Melanie took Dairy Science and Technology Basics for the Farmstead Cheesemaker Short Course at Cal Poly, SLO, CA in May 2000. Since then she has had numerous workshops with Kathy Biss, Jonathan White and Peter Dixon. For the last four years she has taught a 3 day beginning cheese workshop in Western PA for Penn Soil RC&D. Mark and Melanie have hosted field days and workshops at their creamery and participated in workshops as numerous PASA conferences.

Mark has had his hands in the curds since early 2006. Mark graduated from Va Tech in 1996 with a BA in English. He worked in graphic design from 1997 to 2005. When their daughter, Madelyn, was born in December 2005, Mark left his job in Harrisburg to join Keswick Creamery full time. Applying his creativity to the cheese process has added favorites to the Keswick Creamey line up, like Blue Suede Moo, Tommenator and Mad Tomme! Mark took the Pasteurizer Operators Short Course at Penn State in 2006. Since then he has attended workshops with Kathy Biss and Peter Dixon. He has also presented on cheese and yogurt at the PASA Conference.

Their daughter, Madelyn was born in 2005 and is a busy helper in the cheese plant and around the farm. She also loves horseback riding with her Aunt Emily and Gran.