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Yellow Branch Farm is located in western North Carolina,
near Fontana Lake in Graham County. Yellow Branch is the name
of the small creek that flows down the valley and empties
into Fontana Lake. We moved to the farm with the intention
of producing food for our table and acquired a jersey milk
cow named Rosebud. Learning to make cheese soon followed.
Now, there is a small herd of jersey cows that provide the
milk to produce Yellow Branch Cheese. Licensed in l986, we
are part of a growing number of artisan and farmstead cheese makers in the U.S.
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Farmstead
cheeses are traditionally made from the milk of the farm's own herd.
The dairy is pasture-based, and the pastures are
managed using sustainable, organic practices. No herbicides, pesticides
or chemical fertilizers are used. Growth hormones are not used and
antibiotics are used therapeutically and only as a last option.
We strive to provide the cows with a stress free, healthy environment.
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Yellow
Branch Cheeses are made in small batches following an original recipe
that we developed.
The distinctive flavor of the handcrafted cheese results from the
high quality of the milk and the variety of grasses and herbs growing
in the pastures.
The ingredients in the cheese are whole unpasteurized milk, lactic
culture, Celtic
Sea Salt ®, microbial rennet and flavorings that we grow
on the farm. Similar to keeping a sour dough starter, we carry over
the lactic culture from batch to batch.
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Cheese Varieties
Yellow Branch Farmstead Cheese is a versatile table cheese that
goes well with many foods. The cheese has a mild, buttery, full-bodied
flavor. It is equally suitable as a dessert cheese and pairs well with
fresh or dried fruit. It melts wonderfully and can be grated when chilled.
The cheese has a long shelf life if kept in the refrigerator and wrapped
properly.
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Award
winning Yellow Branch Pepper Cheese is made with
jalapeno peppers organically grown in our garden and ripened to
a bright red. The peppers add a spicy, piquant flavor.
Yellow Branch Basil
Cheese is made with fresh basil organically grown in the
vegetable garden and adds a delicate basil flavor to the creamy
cheese.
Yellow Branch Natural Rind Cheese
is unwaxed and washed with organic apple cider vinegar. It is aged
for a minimum of 4 months and the result is a drier, sharper version
of the Farmstead Cheese.
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