Friday, Jan. 04, 2008

Got Goat Cheese?

Flower Mound Woman Creates Artisan Cheeses

STORY & PHOTOS By Katy Bynum-Clark | Staff Writer

Anne Jones knew from an early age that she wanted to work with animals.

“I was always the kid in the neighborhood rescuing birds,” said the Pittsburgh native. “Dogs and cats were always following me home — at least that’s what I told my mother. I would spend summers in Maine with my grandmother riding horses.”

Now a licensed veterinarian and Flower Mound resident, Jones has developed another passion that allows her to continue working with animals.

“I love animals, and I love food,” she said. “I had done cheese making on a vacation in Italy.”

And that European adventure, which was actually a horseback riding themed-vacation, planted the seed for her culinary success. Jones studied with Sara Bolten of Pure Luck Farm and Dairy in Austin to learn about cheese making.

“I had tried making cheese before with store-bought milk, and while it tasted okay, it didn’t look so hot,” Jones said.

That’s when she enrolled in Bolten’s workshop. After that, Jones established Latte Da Dairy and has been producing artisan cheeses sprinkled with spices since April.

She sells chévre, feta and brie varieties exclusively to Central Market in Southlake, Fort Worth and Dallas. She also has been making Argento capra and has been testing a gouda. “The plain chévre flies off the shelves,” said Martha Dickens, Central Market’s deli-cheese manager in Southlake. “It is so versatile. You can use it with both sweet and savory dishes.”

Dickens said demand for the Latte Da Dairy cheese is surpassing supply.

“We empty our shelves each week, and Anne delivers fresh cheese by the dozens.”

Central Market isn’t the only establishment that’s recognized Jones’ talent. She recently entered the American Dairy Goat Association cheese contest with four of her cheeses and came away with two blue ribbons and one second place. Jones’ Latte Da Kalamata Feta took first place in the commercial feta category; Latte Da Argento Capra, a St. Maure-style cheese, placed first in the commercial soft ripened category; and Latte Da Fresh Chévre took second in commercial chévre.

A lot of work goes into the creation of Jones’ savory artisan cheeses, and it all starts at home.

Jones and her husband, Johnny — a police officer for Grapevine — live on a little more than 5 shady acres well off the beaten path in Flower Mound. It’s not only their home, but a farm for her 11 milking goats and “10 divas in training” who haven’t yet started producing milk. All Jones’ does are named after divas, including “Talk Show O” named after Oprah Winfrey, of course, and one named “Marie Laveau,” after the Louisiana Bayou legend.

Their home also includes two dogs — a Siberian husky name Syrah and a rescued Rottweiler named Kizmet. While the dogs are separated from the herd, a llama named Dozer keeps predators such as coyotes at bay.

On any given day, Jones may be found calling her herd for a morning walk up to the pond.

“Milk goats! Milk goats! Come on, Milk goats.”

With jubilation they start the parade down the hill and up again. But Jones is careful where she steps because the girls are liable to stop right in front of her when nature calls.

Her homestead also houses a separate commercial kitchen where Jones makes her specialty artisan cheese from the Grade A milk her herd provides. The milk is tested monthly by the Texas Department of Health to assure quality.

“My cheese doesn’t smell like goat,” Jones said. “I love seeing people taste it for the first time.”

Part of the reason Jones’ cheese lack the “goaty smell” is because she keeps an incredibly clean operation.

Before the twice-daily milkings, Jones carefully cleans the utters and teats because “[goats] love to take dust baths.”

Eight of the milk-producing goats are milked by machine and three by hand. “I have three divas that refuse the machine,” Jones said.

And her training as a veterinarian comes in handy.

“I’m very vigilant about preventing mastitis — an infection of the mammary gland,” Jones said.

The does all receive another round of cleansing before returning to the pasture. Before exiting the milking room, the goats get a treat — an Animal Cracker cookie. Jones said that she had tried banana chips and saltines, but the Animal Crackers are the only ones everybody likes.

Jones records the milk volume from each goat, and the raw milk is immediately added to the cooling tank, which keeps the milk at the proper temperature while churning intermittently.

“It needs to get cold right away, that’s why it goes straight from the goat to the bulk [cooling] tank.”

From the cooling tank, the milk goes directly to the pasteurizer, which is kept at a constant 145 degrees. The commercial kitchen where Jones creates her cheeses has a refrigeration system for the finished products.

It takes about 8 pounds of milk to equal one gallon, and one gallon of milk makes one pound of cheese.

“You end up with a lot of whey,” Jones said.

That whey isn’t wasted but is poured into a trough for the girls.

Besides all the ragweed, redbud, oak leaves, grapevine and weeds they can eat, the herd is also fed horse-grade alfalfa.

Jones’ Nubian and La Mancha goats are on an “extended lactation” schedule. This schedule allows Jones to only breed when necessary. “You can’t keep everybody; that’s the reality of farming. I’m not breeding everybody every year.”

Jones also rotates fields every four to six months, depending on the weather.

“The biggest part of this is cleaning,” Jones added.

Jones is also careful not to use any pesticides on the land.

“My land is organic. There are natural ways to deal with fire ants and weeds. And if I treat somebody [with medication], I throw out the milk. I use drugs with discard times and double that,” Jones said.

Jones also keeps a watchful eye on milk production. “That tells me what’s going on with my goats,” she said.

For a peek at Jones’ girls, visit the Fort Worth Stock Show on opening weekend, Jan. 11-14, 2008. Jones will be showing several of her “divas” Jan. 13 and 14.

Earlier this year at the State Fair in Dallas, one of Jones’ does, Bonnie, pranced away with the Junior Reserve Grand Champion award.

For information about Latte Da Dairy and goat cheese recipes, see www.lattedadairy.com.