Hello my subjects. I don the name Locust. Though I am named after the big beautiful Black Locust trees lining the driveway of Mystery Bay Farm, Rachael and Scott have decided, rightfully, to give me more appropriate, endearing pet names, Lolo or P. Lo (Princess Lolo). After spending time amongst the herd I came to understand the glory of my bloodline. My elegance and grace rivals no others. The pampering I deserved as a kid, including my coming out party as the Beauty Queen of the Tractor Days parade in Nordland, has prepared me for my position amongst my adoring admirers. Though my mother Little Deer was dethroned, I mean dehorned, and decided to shack up at another kingdom, Finnriver Farm, she just couldn't compete with the horned b-----s here, I forgive her. I have recently given birth to a girl named Lillawaup and milk is flowing from me like the river Nile. I now know my lineage will be carried on so I can relax and catch up on my beauty sleep. Ta Ta.

Cheese dreams really do come true, with hard work. Not only did the cheese meet Rachael's expectations but the the flavor is phenomenal. Scott dedicated a large amount of his time to pasture management, providing the goats a diverse forage diet including rose, hawthorne and clover. When we tasted the cheese for the first time, the floral, sweet, clean and slight lemony flavors danced on our tongues without an ounce of grittiness. Bad tasting goat cheese is the result of mishandled milk and goat diet. This is the not the case for Mystery Bay Chevre.

Luscious.

Curdilicious! The milk set perfectly. The texture is tight and silky. Now it's time to ladle the curd into cheese cloth bags for draining. Based on the first impression, the curd will result in a creamy, luxurious cheese. Not to jump ahead too quickly but the excitement, just to get too this moment, is palpable. The true test of the cheese formation will be tomorrow when we see how the curd has drained. Getting hungry yet?

Eyeing her first batch, Rachael studies the accuracy of her thermometers. She nervously waits to get to the right temperature. Her goal is to make sure she doesn't go too far past the legal heating temperature for pasteurization, 145 degrees. She has worked hard to produce a milk with beautiful floral quality and doesn't want to cook out all of it's inherit properties. Her cheese should be a true reflection of her farm. Gorgeous.