Episode 2: Sue Miller shares how artisan cheese combines science with intuition, fosters community, and begins with beautiful milk

Cow-Side Conversations

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“Cheese-making is kind of like farming. There are many different ways to do it well and do it right.” The holiday season is here, and can you imagine having to fill a bunch of orders from last-minute customers looking for the perfect gift? For Pennsylvania dairy farmers in the artisan cheese business, that’s exactly what this time of year can look like.
In this episode of Cow-Side Conversations, Sue Miller of Birchrun Hills Farm in Chester County shares how her family is adding value to their small dairy farm (54 acres and 70 cows) with artisan cheese. Sue describes how they manage their herd to produce high-quality milk with an ideal ratio between fat and protein, some of the skills that are critical to her role as a cheesemaker, how they work as a family 7 days a week, and the community and growth opportunities that are forming through the resurgence of artisan cheese across the state.