When most people think of Idaho agriculture, they think of potatoes. However, Idaho is the third-ranked state in dairy production, and since June is Dairy Month, we thought it appropriate to highlight a local family that makes excellent cheese: Ballard Cheese.
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First generation farmers
Steve and Stacie Ballard moved to Gooding, Idaho, in 1995. Although they had no direct experience in dairy, they wanted to get into the business.
“We basically had no experience with it,” Stacie Ballard said. “We come from Southern California. We moved to Idaho and I started milking cows on the street. “I told my husband, ‘I think we can do this,’ so we bought used equipment at auctions, built a barn and started milking cows.”
The Ballards quickly realized that making a profit with just a handful of cows was a challenge due to the volatile milk market, so they looked for other ways to differentiate themselves. The family began researching cheese making in schools and taking short courses at agricultural universities, such as San Luis Obispo and UC Davis, and working with a consultant. In 2004 they started producing cheese.
“We started with curds because the Nampa plant closed and people were asking for it,” Stacie Ballard said.
From there, they expanded into other types of cheese, with more than 11 varieties and a line of cheese curds offered today as part of Ballard Cheese.
artisan cheese
All Ballard cheese is artisanal and made exclusively from milk produced by local Jersey cows. Jersey cows are a breed of dairy cow known for their higher fat milk than other breeds, such as Holsteins.
Their cheese-making process, unlike that of large manufacturers, produces a tastier cheese.
“It’s a little more old-fashioned,” said master cheesemaker Travis Ballard. “If you try ours compared to what you would normally get in the store, we just have more flavor. We’re not looking for optimization or performance; We are doing it for quality. “It’s an old way of doing things and even though we’ve grown, we still maintain it.”
Farmers markets
The Ballards began selling cheese at the Boise farmers market, where they gained a following. Today, you can still see Ballard’s weekly at the Boise Farmers Market, or you can purchase a variety of their products at all Winco grocery stores locally, at many Albertson’s in the Treasure Valley, at Boise Co-op stores , Lark & Larder, and on the menu of some restaurants. All Ballard cheese varieties are also available to order directly from their website.
“We are just a small artisan cheesemaker trying to make the best quality products possible at a reasonable price so everyone can enjoy them,” Stacie Ballard said.
If you haven’t tried Ballard’s cheese before, some of my favorites are Ballard Idaho Grilling Cheese, Ballard Huckleberry Cheddar Cheese, and Ballard Herb Garlic Cheese Curds.
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