Throughout the process of launching Del Marie Creamery, Daphne and I have been asked question after question starting with the “why” word:
Why yogurt?
Why dairy?
Why local?
Why grass-fed?
Why Del Marie?
And I’ll admit I have often been part of that crowd.
I not only love but need to retrace my steps to make sense of what is going on in my life. And right now, there are a whole lot of those “What in the WORLD is happening” kinds of feelings (in a this-is-super-fun-ummmm-i-think-my-heart-just-stopped-please-save-me-no-really-this-is-great kind of way).
So, this seems like a good time to start answering those questions; to create a blue print of the how and why we got where we are today. I can’t promise that these questions will be answered in order or in any cohesive manner whatsoever but I do promise that my version of the “why” will be … well, really it will just be my side of the story.
In short, and hopefully what will come through in this little series of thoughts and stories, Del Marie Creamery is:
These days I’ve been making pot after pot of soup to help keep us warm. We eat it for either dinner or lunch every day until it’s gone, then immediately make another pot of something new. One of my favorite soups this crazy winter is borscht — I am addicted to its combination of beets and fresh dill. Of course we eat it with lots of yogurt on top.
Actually, I love the tangy flavor of yogurt on top of almost any savory soup. The yogurt contributes to a beautiful presentation when serving. Scoop a little dollop on top of the soup, then a sprinkle of herbs — so pretty! When you’re ready to dig in, stir in the yogurt for a gentle, creamy texture and flavor. Or, if you’re a purist, scoop a bit of yogurt off the top with each spoonful of soup to keep the flavors separate but complimenting.
It started with Frank: A Maryland-based dairy farmer who set out to make the most expensive ice cream in the world. In his process, he was sidetracked and ended up becoming the guy for microdairy equipment and young-uns like us testing the waters of locally-produced dairy products.
Then Harold walked in: A Dutch gentleman representing a 120-year old European dairy company from the Netherlands and our eyes got big. Oh, I’ll admit it. He had what we wanted. What we dreamed of.
Enter Sam: A dairy and yogurt guru living in North Carolina with a delightful accent and memories of daily yogurt eating at home in Egypt as a child, a consultant to companies all over the world (he’s currently in Morocco) and our own little Del Marie Creamery. Broadening our horizons, making things happen …
There is wide, open space in my head for dreaming, these days. I often catch myself thinking, “Is this really my life?” Annemarie and I are actually starting a business! Progress is steadily being made with Del Marie and each day our goal of opening a creamery is one step closer to becoming a reality.
Last night I made 2 gallons of yogurt. Before going to bed I put jars of cultured milk and some warm water bottles in a 30 gallon ice chest to incubate. I set my alarm for 2:30 am to switch new hot water bottles into the cooler. I let it go another few hours before putting it into the fridge to cool. In the morning, voila! Delicious yogurt. But that’s nothing – in a few weeks we’ll have a 52 gallon pasteurizer for making yogurt commercially. A big step up from 2 gallon batches!
Saturday morning I’ll have my usual yogurt and homemade granola for breakfast then drive out to the farm. I’ll enjoy the scenery, buy more milk, chat with the Chisholms and melt when I see those gorgeous jerseys’ eyes.
It feels like a charmed kind of life – doing what I love to do every day. I am inspired, and just so happy that we’ve decided to take this big risk to start Del Marie. I want to remember this feeling forever.
What inspiring, risky thing do you really want to do today?
ABC News is getting ready to do a report on Nightline which features undercover videos of “factory dairy farms.” I’ve not yet watched the videos, and to be honest I don’t believe I will – the photos in the report are enough.
Thankfully, not all dairy farms are factory farms.
Visiting Chisholm Family Farm on a weekly basis means knowing the family, the farm and the cows that supply our milk.
The Chisholm’s cows are happy cows with names (not numbers) and a whole lot of love. On our very first visit in August, we stood in the pasture and watched the sun set while the cows munched on grass and glanced at us with curiosity. And every Saturday, when in the milk parlor, we open the window and talk to the cows as they slurp up water from the trough right in front of us. Last week, we mostly talked to “Kathy” who was very pregnant. She just gave birth to her bull calf yesterday. Congrats Kathy!
We are glad that the Chisholms and Del Marie Creamery agree on the fact that “happy cows make great milk.”
We hosted three tasting events last week…it was our first chance to let the public try Del Marie yogurt. Thanks to all the friends and yogurt-lovers who participated!
For those of you who were there, that awesome local Nebraska honey we served with the yogurt can be purchased at Wohlner’s grocery. We love it! And here are the recipes for our homemade granola and muesli:
