Press Release and Publications

  

  

  

  

April 16, 2011

Michael Lobaugh is discusses with Robin Sydiel Old Windmill Dairy Story on KUNM as we celebrate Earth Day at La  Montanita Coop Street Food Fair.

  

April 3, 2011

Ed Lobaugh from Old Windmill Dairy is interviewed on Santa Fe Alliance weekly show. We are at 11 am Mountain Time, channel 1260 Am. If you cannot hear the show tune into http://santafealliance.com/news/local-first-radio/ for a podcast. This will be released in the next few weeks.

  

March 2011

This is an exciting time on the farm as the does are back in milk. We have had a total of 94 kids. They are so cute. The kids love to be held and petted. We have started to make cheese again.

Today we learned there will not be a Lavendar Festival this Summer at Los Poblanos. We were so looking forward to the festival. 

We are however, planning to attend several new venues this year. Once the venues are confirmed we will anounce the dates. We Just finished the Fiery Food Show was an exciting success. We launched our new homestyle gourmet cream cheeses. The cheeses received great feed back. When you come visit us at the farmers markets check out these great cheeses:

  • O Luv - Olive Tampenade Cream Cheese
  • New Delhi - Roased Red Pepper, Curry Tumeric Cream Cheese
  • Heart of Chile - Artichoke Hearts and Green Chile Cream Cheese
  • The Great Plains - Plain Cream Cheese
  • Raspberry Nights - Raspberry Cream Cheese sweetened with Agave Nectar
  • Morning Blues - Blueberry Cream Cheese sweetened with Agave Nectar

February 2011

Old Windmill Dairy makes the top 100 things to do in the Southwest (cheese class) - as seen in Sunset Magazine.

Come check out our cheese classes. It is very exciting to share the knowledge of making cheese. We are very passionate cheese makers. We love to share and exchange experiences.

We are finally hiring a staff. Having a vacation allowed us to look at the farm with a fresh perspective. We are proud to say we have a new Full Time MIlker and Maintainence person. He has been a God send. We have also hired 3 part time milkers and cheese production assistant. We are currently looking for a full time cheese production assistant. If you are interested please give us a call.

It is almost March and we are preparing for the Fiery Food Show. Hope you come visit us at Sandia Resort and Casino, March 4, 5 and 6th. We will be unveiling a whole new line of cream cheeses. They are very yummy!

Our first set of twins were born on February 20. We have had triplets today. Yeah! The kids are coming.

  

  

January 2011

Do you wonder what we have been up to. For the first time since the dairy project started, Michael and Ed have taken two wonderful vacations. We had fun playing in Key West than in Honolulu. We got plenty of time in the sun. We snorkeled and enjoyed some delicious meals with friends. We were fortunate enough to take two of  our wonderful volunteers. They too had a great time in the sun being merry!

  

Now that we are back. we are working on many outstanding projects at the dairy. We are completing construction on a new walk in freezer and cooler. We are busy painting doors and floors.

  

We are installing a bran new kitchen in our red barn to enhance our upcoming cheese classes. By the way look for the article coming out in Sunset Magazine in February. We will be featured with 3 other dairies discussing our cheese making classes.

  

This years projects include fencing, extending barns and the milking parlor. We hope to improve our semi hard cheeses by exploring new cheese presses and molds. To help increase the shelf life of our semi hard cheeses we will be researching cryovac material as an option in packaging our cheeses.

  

After going on vacation we have realized we at the dairy including our volunteers have been working extraordinarily hard without taking time to appreciate our efforts. This year we hope to higher a few people to help out the dairy. We also plan on taking more vacations in the winter. Making cheese is certainly fun and we are very passionate about what we do. However, we  all need to remember to bring balance to our lives and have fun.

  

  

Old Windmill Dairy Receives 2011 Scovie Award

Our delicious Holy Chipotle Chevre and Chili and Hot Chevre receive gold medals in the Unique and White Cheese Category.

After taking a bite of Holy Chipotle your sense will experience a wonder smoky cheese that has a tangy tomatoe garlic flavor At the end your taste buds will be delighted with a chipotle kick.

Despite the name "Chili and Hot," this cheese is not hot. This chevre reminds me of a great salsa blend. If you enjoy garlic, New Mexico green chiles and Jalapeno's you will love our Award Winning "Chili and Hot." This cheese has earned 3 Gold medals at the Scovie Awards 2010 and 2011.

  

Our new line of Cow cheeses are slowing being unveiled. This Summer 2010 we had great success making fresh Mozzarella for clients at our Farmers Markets. We are now aging raw milk cow cheddars, goudas and romano. We are working on Manchego as well. We have been successful at making our own special "Farmhouse Swiss," Like swiss cheese ( a cow milk cheese innoculated by a native yeast in Switzerland) our cow cheese has been inoculated with an innate yeast mold that lives in the Estancia Valley. This mold creates a wonderfull sweet yet "Baby Swiss Cheese," flavor. Our local customers are raving about the texture and flavor.

  

Projects in Progress

  • Building Walk In Cooler
  • Building Walk In Freezer
  • Fencing Additional Property
  • Extending Milking Parlor
  • Extending Animal Barns

Projects Completed:

  • Solar Attic Fan Installed
  • Cheese Aging Room
  • Cheese Caves
  • Water Management System
  • Added a new 135 gallon pasteurizer Feb., 2010
  • Added instant hot water heater Oct. 2010
  • Added washer and gast dryer Oct. 2010.
  • Heard breeding has begun October 2010.

May 16, 2010. We had a great day making cheese. In class we discussed various dairy practices, herd managment and of course making cheese.

  

Artisan Cow Milk Cheeses

We are now in full production making all our wonderful cheeses. Our cow cheeses have been delayed due to staffing issues. However we hope to reintroduce them in a few weeks. It is very exciting as Ed has his mozzarella recipe down and Michael has made some awesome raw milk cow swiss cheese. Don't give up yet! Hopefully Mozzarella will be introduced just as the tomatoes come in full force ripeness or if we are lucky just a few weeks earlier.

Old Windmill Dairy now Produces Cow Milk cheeses Starting March 2010

Baby Goats Are here February 201

  

  

February 20, 2010 - Thanks for the help Santa Fe Institute

Extention of Animal Barn and Addition of Cow Milking Parlor completed 2010

  

Old Windmill Dairy Acquires 10 additional acres for Pasture February 25, 2010 - Thanks Mom and Dad

  

  

 

2010 Scovie Awards - Old Windmill Dairy wins two Blue Ribbons

  

Read About OWD in the Wall Street Journal 2009

  

Capitol Report 2009 and Slow Money Conference

  

Old Windmill Dairy Interview on Santa Fe KSFR

  

  

  

Soured-on-stocks-try-goat-cheese in MSN Money

  

Receives 2005 American Dairy Goat Association Blue Ribbon for Manzano Blue Moon

a rippened goat milk cheese that is a true farmer's market treasure.

  

Galo Wine Fine Foods Contest Finalist 2008

  

  

Right turn at Albuquerque - Valarie and Jonathan Ashe - Cheese Supporters

  

Rave Reviews from Local Cheese Enthusiast Denise Miller in the Albuquerque Journal

  

Mid Region Council of Governments - New Mexico - Resources for Chefs and Food Service Providers 

 

Albuquerque Magazine 2008

  

Listed on "Fork and Bottle" website

  

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

  

Love at first bleat (and bite) for goat cheese makers

  

By Denise Miller

For the Journal

      local picks

      

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Old Windmill Dairy, Estancia WHO: Michael and Ed Lobaugh WHAT: chevre, feta, cheddar, Gouda, Reserve and Manzano Blue WHEN/WHERE: From April through November, their products are at: Santa Fe Farmers' Market, Eldorado Farmers' Market, Edgewood Farmers' Market, La Montanita Co-op, Cids in Taos, Kaunes in Santa Fe, Socorro Grocery Store, B Street Mountain Air, Triangle market on N.M. 14, Nelson's in Southwest Albuquerque

  

    Editor's note: During growing season, Denise Miller of the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association spotlights local growers and their crops.

   

    Say "goat cheese" and most people think of chevre, a soft, French-style goat cheese that is similar to cream cheese with a bit of tang.

    Certainly it is one of the most popular ways to enjoy goat cheese, but it is by no means the only way.

  

How about cheddar, blue or feta from a goat? What about superb hard cheeses like a Reserve or Tazon de Llanto?

    At growers' markets in central and northern New Mexico (Albuquerque, Santa Fe and beyond) you can find exceptional, locally produced goat cheese that is worth going out of your way to find.

    While each of the featured dairies is carving out a specialty, all have a few things in common beyond their phenomenal products and love of goats. Most important, all are Grade A dairies, meaning they pass monthly USDA inspections and must be extremely clean, "in the microscopic sense," as one producer described.

    Each dairy enjoys its share of exhausting work, including breeding, milking and handcrafting its products. And for each, taking care of the animals and making cheese have become all-consuming ways of life.

    But something else they have in common is that each dairy is a small center of economic vitality and agricultural sustainability, from the local feed each buys for its animals to the part-time people each employs.

    The dairies featured aren't a complete list of the goat dairies here, but they do represent some of the state's best goat cheese products.

    Be bold, try new cheeses and support your local food artisans. Bon appetit!

    Old Windmill Dairy     

    After 16 years with the Marriott Corp., Michael Lobaugh said he knew it was time to pursue something he had long been interested in: agriculture. He and his partner, Ed Lobaugh, chose to raise goats and produce handcrafted cheese.

    In 2002, they bought five-plus acres just north of Estancia and got their first two goats, Jessie and Brownie. By July 2007 they received their Grade A certification and were ready to officially go into business.

    "It's awesome, but you have to love the work," Michael said of his new profession. And that may be an understatement considering the hours and demands, particularly during the high season when goats are birthing, babies are being bottle fed, mothers are being milked twice daily and cheese is constantly in production.

    "The coolest part is seeing what you created, knowing that people love it and that it's super-nutritonal," Michael said.

    While their soft chevre that comes in multiple flavors, including pesto, dill and chipotle, tends to be a best-seller, the semi-soft, fresh feta is a standout. Be careful if you try it in salads or atop pizza — you may get hooked.

    The cheddar and Reserve are also fantastic. While the cheddar is a little harder than traditional ones, the Reserve's flavor begs for a cracker and dark beer. This hard cheese, which has been aged six to 12 weeks, has a taste somewhere between a Parmesan and brie. It is great on salads, pasta or crackers.

    Blue cheese fans should try Manzo Blue Moon, a creamy Gorgonzola-like cheese. The Lobaughs made their first batch in 2005. They entered the American Goat Dairy Association cheese contest where they earned their first national blue ribbon.

    Made in small batches for quality control, it is not always available and can be purchased only at the local farmers' markets. It is a must for a cranberry-walnut spinach salad.

    The Lobaughs' favorite way to eat it? With a baguette and a glass of merlot or cabernet sauvignon, of course.

    Windmill Dairy also offers cheese-making classes at the farm and a cheese club. Visit theoldwindmilldairy.com.

    South Mountain Dairy

    "Cheese is fascinating to make," Marge Petersen of South Mountain Dairy said. She owns the dairy with Donna Lockridge.

    One taste of their flavorful offerings and you know these cheese enthusiasts know the business as well as the art.

    The South Mountain Dairy in Edgewood has a tagline encapsulating its philosophy: "It's ALL about the girls."

    The dairy is in its fourth year of production. All of South Mountain's products are pasteurized and/or aged. The chevre is made two to three times a week, and the creators credit the high-grade feed they give the girls with the consistent, slightly sour flavor.

    One unique product is the Chevarti, a Danish, Havarti-style semi-soft cheese traditionally made with cow's milk. Ripened at a constant atmosphere, humidity and temperature, this cheese has a smooth and aromatic flavor.

    "The aging of Chevarti is difficult to do in New Mexico because there is supposed to be 85 percent humidity," Petersen said.

    Chevarti flavors include chipolte, green chile, dill, plain and caraway seed.

    When it comes to feta, South Mountain also has a few tricks. The fresh feta is hand-rubbed with kosher salt, rather than brined and aged for several months. It has an exceptionally smooth and creamy texture and mild flavor. It also isn't as salty as traditional feta. This cheese earned an American Cheese Society Award in 2007.

    South Mountain also makes marinated feta, and these aromatic cheeses are soaked with a variety of tasty herbs and spices. The owners also produce various other delicacies, including Queso de Cabra, a fresh, New Mexican-style queso blanco.

    South Mountain also sells goat's milk that is "low batch pasteurized," heat treated at the lowest allowable temperature. It can be picked up at several area growers' markets if ordered from Lockridge at (505) 280-5210.

    Sweetwoods

    Farmstead Creamery

    According to Patrice Harrison-Inglis, matriarch of this local artisan goat cheese dairy, there is no such thing as a goat cheese recipe.

    "The more you learn, the more you realize what you don't know," she said, explaining how the complex process of making goat cheese and other products has kept her family engaged for nearly two decades.

    Sweetwoods' most recognizable product is its Red Ribbon chevre. But as the farm evolves from work done primarily by Harrison-Inglis and her husband to the next generation, she sees Sweetwoods carving out a niche that specializes in raw milk products including its Tazon de Llanto and raw goat milk. (Cheeses made with raw milk are aged a minimum of 60 days, and selling raw goat's milk requires extra inspections.)

    The Tazon de Llanto is Sweetwoods' newest cheese, and according to Harrison-Inglis, the "most flavorful and most enduring" since it keeps well. It is made from a mixture of raw sheep and goat milk.

    Tazon de Llanto is made with fresh goat and sheep milk that has been filtered and chilled but otherwise unprocessed, helping it retain maximum nutrition along with a bit of unpredictability and seasonal variation inherent in a "living" food, according to Sweetwood's brochure.

    It is cultured and curdled in small batches, hand-dipped and formed into wheels of 6 to 9 pounds. After being pressed overnight, the cheese spends the next 24 hours immersed in a cold brine of sea salt.

    Each Tazon is aged 60 days or more at the farm, but the owners also encourage buyers to try their hand at affinage de maison (finishing at home). The cheese only improves with a deepening golden color, intensified flavor and a more pronounced buttery finish, Harrison-Inglis said.

    Sweetwoods' best advice: Keep a wedge of Tazon and a vegetable peeler on the table for curling slivers of this cheese onto each plate.

    PASTA WITH GOAT CHEESE AND GREENS

    Serves 4-6                                                                                

    1 pound penne pasta

    5 ounces chevre

    5 tablespoons butter

    2 cups oyster mushrooms, sliced

    3 scallions, chopped

    4 cups of cooking greens (spinach, chard, etc.)

    2 tablespoons dill, chopped

    1/2 fresh lemon, juiced

    1/4 cup white wine

    Handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

    Hard goat cheese (like Old Windmill Dairy's Reserve) or Parmesan, grated to taste

    Boil the pasta until it is al dente. Sauté mushrooms and scallions in butter. Once mushrooms are tender, add cooking greens. When greens are wilted, add dill, lemon juice and white wine. Rinse pasta quickly so it retains heat. Crumble or scoop spoonfuls of the chevre in a big bowl. Mix pasta and cheese so the cheese melts.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

© 2011 Old Windmill Dairy