Cochran Farm 1790

St Johnsville, New York

'The General Cochran Farm' - the official title of this farm - was gifted to General John Cochran in the year 1790 for his service during the American Revolutionary War. However, it took over two hundred years for it to become the beacon of cheesemaking that it is today. Patrick and Gwen Apfel began making cheese there in 2014, after raising their children and leaving their former careers. 'From software to soft cheese' as Patrick likes to say... After a five year project in France building IT infrastructure for hospitals, Patrick and Gwen became positively smitten with the goat cheeses of the Loire Valley. They longed to bring this style of cheese to the U.S., and after apprenticing with various cheesemakers in the Loire and Burgundy they did just that!

Patrick and Gwen source all of the goat milk for their fresh and soft-ripened cheeses from a neighboring Amish farmer, who is attuned to the breed of goats, animal husbandry practices, and milk quality standards that go into making great cheese. Thanks to this partnership, the Amish farmer has the purview of producing the best goats' milk possible, and Gwen and Patrick focus on making the best quality cheese possible.

Photo Credits: Cochran Farm