The Milton Creamery

Last week I overheard an instructor of mine talking about a place in Milton,Ia that made their own cheese out of locally acquired cows milk. This fit right along with the project that I'm working on for the place that I work , the Bridge View Center, in Ottumwa, Ia. That is to design a menu that utilizes locally, and sustainble foods. You might say "easier said than done" in an area like southeast Iowa that seems to suck off the teat of the Machine and is nurtured by the crap that passes for food nowadays. So I decided to do some investiagting. And lo and behold I found some very interesting things on this Mennonite family owned cheese making facility.
Having just announced that they were the 2009 recipitants of the Wisconsin Cheese Board's white cheddar category I thought this a good time to visit them and see what makes good cheese great.
Owned and operated by Rufus and Jane Musser, you couldn't ask for nicer and more down to earth folks. Walking in I was immedieatly greeted by Jane who with her traditional Mennonite dress and bonnet greeted me warmly and offered me samples of both their award winning cheeses (The Prairie Breeze) and also samples of the Prairie Rose. Soon Rufus came out and I knew immediately that I was going to like him. very personable and likeable fellow he quickly ushered me on a tour of the facility. Jane runs the gift shop and all front of the house operations, whereas Rufus is the "marketing guy" and probably considered the face of the business, while Gailen (Rufus and Jane's son one of 5 kids) is the Head Cheese Maker (pun intended) Though Rufus does jump in and make cheese when he's not on the road making deliveries,demos,and all around other marketing stuffs. Rufus's tour was not just enthusiastic it was all very educational. From a guy that started making cheese in his kitchen to a guy that essentially made a leap of faith into the very Big Boy Market of cheese making...You just cant help but think "wow this guy really did it" The proverbial American Dream come true. Not with out hard work,a good banker,and lots of faith mind you. As Gailen said to me quite fondly"Some days you wonder if you're crazy and other days you know you are" What with their thick Pennsylvania Dutch accents and their simpler ways of living not only do they put out a damn fine cheese but they are in a very real sense to me a very enviable type of people.