Farm to table has never been more delicious than here in the Skagit Valley. GSV Founding member Samish Bay Cheese has recently joined forces with GSV member Mesman Farm to fulfill growing demand for their artisan and award winning cheeses. The recent collaboration between the two Genuine Skagit Valley farming families brings “local” full circle.

“This partnership is a really exciting opportunity for us to keep our milk local and be made into the best cheese and products in the area! It’s great to keep the long relationship we have with Samish Bay Cheese going into the future.” says Chelsy Mesman.

Read more about this farm partnership below.

Press Release from Samish Bay Cheese

Samish Bay Cheese is pleased to announce we have joined forces with Mesman Farm of La Conner.  As requests for our farmstead cheeses have grown, we sought a local partner to supplement the supply of milk from our own cows.  Mesman’s is perfect for that role.  Their daily deliveries of quality milk will allow us to continue to make the organic dairy products that our customers have come to expect in greater quantity.  Until last month our cheese and yogurt was made exclusively with milk from our own cows.  

With this additional milk we are now able to fulfill the growing demand from our established customer base, take on new customers, and expand our product line, starting with Ricotta.  

About Samish Bay Cheese

Samish Bay Cheese, in Bow, WA was established in 1996 and has been operated for the past 23 years by Suzanne and Roger Wechsler.  Our cheeses and yogurts, as well as meats and other products, can be found at our farm store on Bow Hill Road, right next to the milking barn and the cheese making facility, and at a number of farmers markets from Seattle up to Bellingham.  Select cheeses and yogurts are also sold at independent grocers and coops throughout the Puget Sound area, as well as a growing number of restaurants and food service companies.  

About Mesman Farm

Mesman Farm, a fifth-generation dairy in La Conner, has been an organic dairy for 15 years.  The Mesman Family has been delivering their milk to Samish Bay daily since the end of November.  They plan to sell Samish Bay products at their farm store along with other products they produce on their farm including pasture raised beef and pork.   

“Farmers hauling milk like this, isn’t very common. I think there’s a couple in Whatcom County doing it. We wanted to keep doing what we’re doing, being organic and this is a good fit for us because it’s really neat to go into a store and see your milk there.  I walk in the store there and think, wow, here’s stuff from our farm!” says Alan Mesman.

How is the cheese made? It starts with the milk.

Alan Mesman transports organic milk to Samish Bay Cheese, where it is pumped into a holding tank. Curdling vats of milk churn in the production facility at Samish Bay Cheese. This is one of the first steps in making their award-winning artisan cheese. See farm to table come full circle.