New on the block

Hi, I'm Manuelle. We've recently moved onto a block of land, and we've got 3 goats and 10 sheep and 4 chickens. I'm keen on making cheese with my goats, and wondered if anyone could recommend any good/interesting/funny farming/cheesemaking/animal blogs or websites?

Hi, Manuelle - heaps of cheese makers on here - type 'cheese' into the search function and have fun!

We make cheese with our cows! They're like large black goats with more teats. []

I'm also new to LSB, and am excited about all the info on this site. I've been following a blog for a while now that is quite good - fiveacresfarm.blogspot.com - they cover goat milk cheesemaking and some recipes, and have quite humorous (sometimes informative) stories about their animals (mostly goats and sheep). I like it because they're located in NZ somwhere, so the cheese recipes use ingredients we can get in our local supermarket.

Hi Manuelle,

welcome to the block

we find Fias co farms website can be quite useful with our goats - fiascofarm.com/ - they also have cheesemaking on there too. American based

I use the book "Home Cheese Making" by Ricki Carroll for most of our cheesemaking, goat and cow. There is a section specifically on goats milk cheese making.

Hi Manuelle
Welcome - there are lots of great sites on the web to search and Lifestyle Block has just put out a great book on cheese making for only $20 - its a Kiwi one and really practical. Well worth it.
Where are you in NZ....I have 3 goats and love them to bits - they are wonderful - whoever coined the phrase dumb animals never met a caprine.
I think we should start a Goat Addicts Society...or GAS for short.

Hi Manuelle. Welcome to the forum. Where are you? We milk a cow and some goats and make butter and cheese for our own use. Our facilities are not good enough to make stuff for sale.

Thanks for all your replies - we have had internet troubles, so I apologise for my delayed one! Goats are wonderful (if a little cheeky!) - I'd certainly join GAS, AnneY! We're just an hour or so north of Auckland. Thanks for all your suggestions about places to look. How do you find Ricki Carroll's book? The fiasco farm website is good, too, and I see the blog that cushla suggested say are going to post more cheese recipes, so I'll keep an eye out on that (assuming they use celsius and the same types of measurements as my kitchen stuff!). Will also be checking out the book AnneY recommended, as it'd be nice to have something local.

We will be hand milking our girls - but ive always wondered whether its worth getting a milking machine?