Attendees of the Ladies’ Luncheon at the NY Holstein Convention in Utica, NY on Friday had the pleasure of listening to a presentation on the brand new Keeley’s Cheese Company. Keeley McGarr grew up on McGarr Farms in King Ferry, NY along with her parents Dan and Connie, sister Meghan and brother Pat. McGarr Farms is a well-known name in the Holstein business and Keeley has recently decided to begin a new venture on the home farm by producing and marketing her “Farmstead Cheese from the Fingerlakes.”

In preparation for the cheese making process, McGarr Farms began grazing their Jersey and Holstein herd while Keeley traveled to Ireland to learn the cheese making craft. The first type of cheese she decided to produce is called “Washed Rind” cheese, which she liked for its distinct flavor and because it was the most interesting cheese she discovered on her travels. Keeley began making cheese about 4 months ago at SUNY Morrisville and then began aging it in the basement of her grandparents’ old farmhouse at McGarr Farms. She and her family are in the process of renovating the basement in this house to accommodate her cheese making and sales. Keeley’s first day of cheese sales was at the King Ferry Winery in December, and she is extremely excited for what the future of her business has in store.

Keeley answers the various questions the ladies had on her new business.

Everyone at the luncheon had the opportunity to taste some of Keeley’s delicious washed rind cheese!

This is Keeley’s first cheese label for her washed ride cheese, named from the common term, “Pondhopper,” that she encountered during her travels in Ireland.

Keeley and her mom Connie after Keeley’s presentation

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2010 at 8:43 am by kjohnson and is filed under Miscellaneous. Hits for this post:1043 You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.