Gooding family bringing local cheese to southwest Idaho

When most people think of Idaho agriculture, they think of potatoes. However, Idaho is the third state in terms of dairy production, and since June is Dairy Month, we thought it appropriate to highlight a local family that makes excellent cheese: Ballard Cheese.

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First generation farmers

Steve and Stacie Ballard moved to Gooding, Idaho in 1995. Although they had no direct experience in the dairy business, they wanted to get into the business.

“Basically, we had no experience in this area,” Stacie Ballard said. “We’re from Southern California. We moved to Idaho and I started milking cows on the street. I said to my husband, “I think we can do it,” so we bought some used equipment at auction, built a barn, and started milking cows.

The Ballards quickly realized it was difficult to make a profit with just a handful of cows in a volatile dairy market. So they looked for other ways to differentiate themselves. The family began researching cheesemaking in schools, taking short courses at agricultural universities, such as San Luis Obispo and UC Davis, and working with a consultant. In 2004 they started producing cheese.

“We started with curds because the Nampa plant closed and people were asking for them,” Stacie Ballard said.

From there, they expanded into other types of cheese, with more than 11 varieties and a line of cheese curds now offered as part of Ballard Cheese.

Artisanal cheese

All Ballard cheeses are artisanal and made exclusively from milk produced by local Jersey cows. Jersey cows are a breed of dairy cow known for their milk that is higher in fat than other breeds, such as Holsteins.

Their cheesemaking process, different from that of larger manufacturers, produces a more flavorful cheese.

“It’s a little more old-fashioned,” said master cheesemaker Travis Ballard. “If you taste ours versus what you would normally get in the store, we just have more flavor. We are not aiming for optimization or efficiency; we aim for quality. It’s an old way of doing things, and even though we’ve grown, we still keep it.

Agricultural markets

The Ballards began selling cheese at the Boise Farmers Market, where they built a customer base. Today, you can still see Ballard’s each week at the Boise Farmers Market, or you can purchase a range of their products at all Winco grocery stores locally, many Albertson’s in the Treasure Valley, Boise Co- op, Lark & ​​Larder, and on the menu of some restaurants. All varieties of Ballard cheese are also available to order directly from their website.

“We’re just a small artisan cheese maker trying to make the best quality product possible at a reasonable price so everyone can enjoy it,” Stacie Ballard said.

If you’ve never tried Ballard’s cheese before, a few of my favorites are Ballard Idaho Grilling Cheese, Ballard Blueberry Cheddar Cheese, and Ballard Garlic & Herb Cheese Curds.

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