In my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined that at 25 I’d become head cheesemaker at Pedrozo Dairy & Cheese Co., my parents’ dairy in Northern California. National magazine editor, ok. But elbows-deep in warm curds and whey? Maybe, but I thought I’d at least have a good 401K built up first to afford the life of a farmer… But, here I am, commuting to the dairy early mornings, making cheese until the late afternoon; making sales calls during breaks and LOVING my time as a vendor at local farmers markets. This path isn’t one I thought I’d take so soon, but I wouldn’t change it for anything! I’m a farmstead cheesemaker, carrying on generations of dairy farming, learning to live sustainably, and entering into that dark underworld otherwise known as “family business.” I’m hoping to chronicle my new life as a young, female, second-generation artisan cheesemaker, and maybe quell my fear of chickens while I’m at it…
To follow the daily goings-on of our cheesemaker, Mandy Johnston, join her on her Blog