The Magic of Milk: A review of a local sheep milk farm and their cheese menu

Wedged between my dad and brother, standing next to a 10,000 foot freefall on a trail known as Vail Pass in Colorado, my mom stands ahead and pulls out her phone for a picture.

“Cheese!” 

Cheese? I thought. Hm. I’ve always completed the predestined action of smiling wide after the five letter word is spoken by someone snapping a picture, but why? What’s so special about cheese anyway? And why is it a given hint to make someone smile? 

It wasn’t until I visited the Green Dirt Farm that I was revealed with the truth.

Tucked away down a gravel road off of the historic Missouri town of Weston — about a 45-minute drive from Prairie Village, sits a local cheese and sheep farm called the Green Dirt Farm. Along with their weekly tours and celebratory events, the experience of the tour and tasting will take you through a journey while you also observe the process of cheese making and the committed effort of the staff —plus the added bonus: sheep sightseeing.

The farm is home to over three-hundred sheep, who spend their days basking in the agricultural pastures and undergoing a milking procedure to make the award-winning cheese that Green Dirt Farm sells— the Fresh Sheep, Dirt Lover, and Prairie Tomme. 

Once I arrived in Weston, I was welcomed by a stone building proceeding the entrance and rustic patio lined with seven older women with smiles and — you guessed it, cheese.

Opened in 2008 by owner Sarah Hoffman, this female-run small business is brimming with delectable food items on the menu, accompanied by engaging tours. Our tour guide, June Garcia, was a reflection of a passionate and instructive teacher and made the experience feel very inviting. 

He led my group through the property, while we followed along the gravel roads up to the sheep pasture. 

The quiet countryside air and the enchanting view of the rolling hills filled our surroundings. The sounds of roosters and border collies guarding their beloved sheep were heard throughout the farm. We proceeded to walk to the milking parlor, where sheep are milked twice a day. 

Following the trip to the milking parlor, we visited where the magic happens—the cheese making lab. I truly mean when I say this: cheese making is way harder than it seems. This ten-by-ten cement room was covered in pipes and electrical gear (and the sharp smell of age cheese). 

After 20 minutes of watching the tenuous cheese making process, I was finally able to taste the cheese. I tried three of Green Dirt Farm’s top-tier cheeses: Fresh Sheep, Dirt Lover and Prairie Tomme.

My first taste of Fresh Sheep Cheese hit me with a salted yet not overwhelming, light cheese, perfect to spread onto a cracker.

Next up was the Dirt Lover. This cheese consists of a bloomy rind — soft, flurry and white — with vegetable ash. In just the first bite I can immediately taste remnants of a savory vegetable flavor. Then it becomes chewy and warm — melting in my mouth.

The final cheese I tried was the Prairie Tomme, another iconic cheese for the farm. This cheese received first place in its category — the Oscar’s of Cheese — at the American Cheese Society. This cheese was nothing short of impeccably aged, leaving a crumbly texture and sharp flavor on my taste buds.

I’ve never considered myself a food critic, and under no decree will I ever be one. But I do tell the truth — Green Dirt Farm holds some of the best cheeses I’ve ever tasted. My expectations for the grocery store samples that greet you when you walk in through the sliding doors have just been raised.

Looking back at the time I spent at Green Dirt Farm, I keep asking myself the same question: when can I go back? This is the sort of place that defines small business and community. 

The friendliness of the staff and welcoming visitors are the type of people to leave a long-lasting smile on your face and the sheep’s legen-dairy product will make you never want store-bought cheese again. Now, I smile even bigger when someone behind a camera yells, “Say cheese!”