Local Farmers, Local Food: Visit to a Creamery

“Don’t come home with a goat,” my husband admonished as the Pixie and I left to visit Blue Moon Bend Farm & Creamery in Marion, New York.

Now, I’ll admit that I have been known to impulse-purchase flowers and herbs (I mean, you can’t have too much catmint, right?), but a goat? That is a different matter entirely. There is no way I would just randomly buy a goat.

Of course, that was before the Pixie met Elsa. (Yes, that would be Else named after the character in the movie Frozen [affiliate link], the Pixie’s end-all-be-all, I sing “Let It Go” nine times a day, Elsa. Naturally.)

No! We didn’t buy a goat. We did buy some really delicious cheese though!

 It was a beautiful day for a drive out into the country; everything was fresh and young. Cows were out grazing on lush grass, the orchards were painted pink and white with apple blossoms, and many people were outside working on their gardens.

Blue Moon Bend Farm & Creamery, located on a 28 acre farm in Marion, New York, is owned and run by Jim and Joanne. I had known Joanne growing up, but we had lost touch, and it was so wonderful to reconnect and catch up at her beautiful farm!

The Pixie and I took a quick tour and learned a little about milking goats and making cheese. Blue Moon Bend is a true micro-creamery–they are only milking 22 goats–so the tour really was quick. The goats are grass-fed, and outside, weather permitting, on this sustainable farm. They do not use any sort of antibiotics or artificial hormones, and their goats are completely GMO-free!

And then on to the cheese-sampling! Blue Moon Bend makes their artisanal cheeses in 10 gallon batches, so they have the ability to experiment a bit, and the results are amazing.

The Pixie was most impressed with Frost Moon (a cheese similar to feta), while I liked the Snow Moon (similar to chevre) best. And the fresh-made mozzarella was pretty darn delicious, too! They also make a number of other cheeses, and try to pair the cheese with the season: feta in the spring when fresh greens abound, mozzarella during tomato season, and harder cheeses in the fall.

If you are interested in trying some of their cheeses, they are offering a CSA this summer, and will be at several local Farmers’ Markets between Rochester and Syracuse, including the Brighton Farmers Market. Check out Blue Moon Bend’s website for more info!

 The highlight of our trip–at least as far as the Pixie was concerned–was following Joanne up a dandelion-spotted hill to meet the baby goats–including Elsa. Blue Moon Bend had 30 kids this year (and two more since our visit!), many of which were playing together when we arrived.

The Pixie got to climb right in and join them!

As adorable as Elsa was–and as cute as she and the Pixie were together–we did not bring Elsa home! We did bring home some of the feta and chevre cheeses, which my husband and the Boy also loved!

 Many thanks to Jim and Joanne of Blue Moon Bend Farm & Creamery for letting us visit! Be sure to check out their website to learn more about their sustainable farming practices, and their wonderful cheese.

**Note: I was not compensated in any way for writing this post, and I am not affiliated with Blue Moon Bend Farm & Creamery. However, this post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon.com affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but Once Upon a Time in a Bed of Wildflowers will receive a small commission. This helps cover some of the costs for this site. We appreciate your support! **

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