Eating Locally in Washington

Port Madison Goat Farm and Dairy

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Parent Category: Growing

Category: Local Farms

Created on Monday, 25 February 2008 06:20

Written by Nancy Fortner

Port Madison Goat Farm and Dairy on Bainbridge Island was created and is sustained by the hard working husband and wife team of Steve and Beverly Phillips. Begun in 1987 by growing organic vegetables for market, Port Madison Farm started raising goats in ’83 with 3 pets at the start; Beverly, who was raised on a dairy farm, has expanded the herd to 100 and she milks 64 of them twice daily!

As in all great teams, they divide and conquer. Beverly manages the goat husbandry, the daily barn and milking chores and Steve does the cheese making.

Over the years they have carefully managed the bloodlines of their Nubian herd, renowned producers of sweet milk. In order to keep milk production stable, the ewes are bred each year. Milk production then ceases until the new kids are born. The late winter and early spring brings new kids (sometimes in twos, threes and quads), and the barn and the Phillips are at capacity with new babies, all of whom are bottle fed until they are old enough for new homes or ready to become part of the milking herd. Every goat has a name, unique personality, and its own little social group, dictated by birth year and who grew up with whom.

Food for the herd is as important to the Phillips as is the food that goes on their table. They do not limit their feeds to organic, since experience has taught them that the quality of organic alfalfa is often not up to their nutritional standards. They are very selective in tracking down and carefully analyzing the quality of the alfalfa, which is bought direct from the farmers.

Relishing the art of making delectable cheeses that are unique to his farm and his goat milk, their cheese is made in small batches by Steve, with some part time assistance. He says the genetics, diet, atmosphere and time of year all affect the flavor. The Terroir-the temperature, humidity and soil conditions, along with the bio-flora of the air specific to the farm, including unique yeasts, molds, and geotricum (mildew) make the flavor of the yogurt and cheeses unique to Port Madison Farm, which is exactly what he seeks to produce.

All of their chevres and ripened cheeses, such as Mt Rainier (my hands down favorite) and Blue Moon are made with pasteurized milk. The chevres are fresh cheeses, made daily, and are available plain, with herbs de Provence, basil or pepper. The ripened cheeses are aged from two to four weeks and are available only at the farmers’ markets. The choices vary weekly, depending on what Steve feels like making (typical artist!). He makes very limited amounts of hard cheese, which is aged from two months to two years. Watch for Steve’s Spring cheese, which can only be produced from the beginning of the milking season through June, takes two months to age, and is always gone by Labor Day.

Port Madison artisan goat cheeses appear in the Bainbridge and other Puget Sound farmers’ markets, including Ballard, Bellevue, Columbia City, U-District, Finny Ridge and West Seattle all season long. In addition, the following carefully selected grocers keep a stock of yogurt and fresh chevres: Bainbridge Town and Country (expecting the first delivery of the season the week of March 17) , Poulsbo Central Market, Sunny Farms in Sequim, and the Co-op in Port Townsend. Beecher’s and Di Laurenti in the Pike Place Market also carry their cheeses.

You haven’t lived until you have tried Port Madison yogurt. It is a mild yogurt with the consistency of whipped cream, and a pleasant tangy freshness that begs to be eaten by itself, or if you must, with fresh fruit. No sugar is required, and I am perfectly happy to eat it in place of ice cream for a healthy dessert.

Milking twice daily and daily cheese making keeps the Phillips pretty tied to home; in the time not committed to goat husbandry and milk processing, they grow much of their own produce, fruit, herbs and chickens, and have recently erected a large hoop house to grow their summer crops away from the browsing of the local deer population. Apparently the deer don’t like mingling with goats, which wander freely in and out of the barn in their social groups and seem to keep the deer from raiding the alfalfa stash.

Hardworking, savvy, committed to their lifestyle, and obviously content, Steve and Beverly embody the pleasures and pride of living simply and close to the land. Their business continues to evolve, as they tailor their cheeses to their local markets. As these two baby boomers age along with the rest of us, they envision a time when they only sell on Bainbridge Island. Steve loves the personal connection with his market customers, and prefers selling direct retail, where he can connect with his customers to discuss the nuances of the cheese offerings of the week. Port Madison Farm cheeses and yogurt are elegant payback for all the time and loving effort that goes into their production.

If you need some ideas for what to do with this wonderful local cheese, go here for some fresh ideas.

All photos by Linda Owens

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