Brenda Snider isn’t what a person might typically think of when they think of a dairy producer. With a master’s in computer information systems, Brenda has taught at the college level. Brenda owns her own company, Equitech Information Systems, LLC, and works with various state, county and other government agencies aiding them by developing and implementing various computer software programs.
So how does a middle-aged business owner become a goat herder and cheese maker? Brenda said, “Working in the technology industry can leave a person pretty stressed and a little burned out. Spending time outside with the goats and making cheese from their milk is very therapeutic, as well as a great business opportunity.”
Brenda developed an interest in making cheese when she was associated with a gentleman who was a dairy herdsman. “This gave me the opportunity to visit and help in several cow dairies during the years that we were acquainted. I learned the details of the dairy industry through these experiences. I also had access to plenty of raw milk to drink and tried my hand at making cheese. The cheese turned out delicious and I was hooked on making my own cheese,” said Brenda.
Brenda’s desire to produce healthy cheese meant she needed to raise her own milk to ensure that it was hormone-free and to control the quality of the cheese. She started with a Jersey cow named Molly. Brenda said, “Molly gave me 6 gallons of sweet rich milk a day. I made great cheese from her milk. But, I found that tending cows is not my favorite thing to do. They need lots of room to graze and leave big sloppy wet stinky piles all over the place. So cows are not my favorite animals to work with.”
Brenda continued, “I knew I wanted to make cheese and started researching all the details of caring for dairy goats. After a few months of research, I bought my first three milking does and two bottle babies in 2007. They were wonderful. I never imagined how affectionate and intelligent dairy goats are. I enjoy working with them as my production partners very much.”
Brenda’s dairy herd consists of LaMancha and Nubian goats. She prefers the qualities of both breeds. Over the years, Brenda has grown the dairy herd to around 150 head and moved the entire farm twice. She was searching for the right place to license the goat dairy and the cheese plant in order to sell her cheese commercially.
In 2011, the Holmes family invited Brenda to bring her goat dairy and cheese making out to the Rockin H Ranch. That summer was spent remodeling the old cow dairy for milking the goats and moving the farm out to the ranch. This has turned out to be the perfect partnership. Brenda’s goats now have access to free-range graze over 500 acres of the 1,000-acre ranch. Brenda said, “I am very pleased that my herd is a grazing/browsing herd. I feel this gives me a good clean healthy milk to make cheese. Good cheese comes from good milk from healthy animals.”
In the fall of 2012 the goat dairy was licensed Grade A. This spring, when the goats freshened again, the cheese plant was also licensed for the production of Brenda’s Artisan Farmstead Raw Goat Milk Cheeses.
Brenda said, “I am excited that the cheeses are ready to come to market along with the ranch’s premium grass-raised meats and naturally grown produce. Look for them with Real Farm Foods labels.”
Brenda had a tough time narrowing down to four different cheese choices. She did a lot of cheese tastings and independent research to come up with her four choices. The cheeses available are: Cablanca – our goat milk Gouda; Alpine Meadow – an alpine-style cheese that reminds you of a hard cheddar; Duggan’s Fire – a spicy cheese with jalapenos and dried cayenne and White River – a semi-soft cheese with a deeper flavor.
Brenda’s cheese can be found at these places in Springfield: Farmers Market of the Ozarks, Mama Jeans, Homegrown Foods, Spring Valley, Hy-Vee and Nature Girls (in Rolla).
