Local cheesemakers win international awards

Baetje Farms of Bloomsdale received several awards at the 2012 World Cheese Awards, held  Nov. 28, in Birmingham, England.

This year there were 2,785 entries at the World Cheese Awards, representing 30 countries.  The competition is the largest and most diverse in the world with a team of more than 200 judges from across the globe representing a tremendous outpouring of cheese experience and cheese diversity including cheeses made from ewe, goat, cow, and buffalo milks in every variety imaginable.

Baetje Farms was awarded four medals for their artisan goats’ milk cheeses, including a Super Gold for “Bloomsdale,” a Baetje Farms original recipe inspired by the French Valencay cheese. It is a uniquely shaped pyramid cheese with a flat top. Originally  the cheese in its earlier form in France, had a perfectly shaped pointed top much like the Egyptian pyramids, but when Napolean stopped at the castle of Valencay on his way home from a disastrous campaign in Egypt upon seeing the pyramid shaped cheeses drew his sword in a rage and lopped the top off of the cheese. It has been made with a flat level top ever since that day. Cheeses that win gold medals are judged again, and the winners from that elite group are awarded the super gold awards. There were only 55 super gold medals awarded this year. The Bloomsdale cheese won a Super Gold at the 2011 awards as well.

 The Baetjes were also awarded silver medals for two of the Coeur de la Crème cheeses, the garlic-and-chive and the three-pepper blend, and a bronze medal for their marinated feta cheese.

“We are tremendously thrilled and very grateful to God to be allowed to be counted among the worlds best cheeses” said Steve and Veronica Baetje

 Baetje Farms has been operating since 2007, and sells a variety of fresh and aged goat’s milk cheeses at farmers markets and retailers.  Information about the farm and its products, including locations where the cheeses may be purchased, can be found on Baetje Farms Facebook page, or @baetjefarms on Twitter or on their web site at: www.BaetjeFarms.com