Trumansburg, NY – In a moment of serendipity, Nancy Taber Richards – owner of Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese – happened to be browsing through a magazine when she read an advertisement seeking a business partner interested in starting a cheese-making operation. At the same time, a small county in New York – where Richard’s family lives and owns a dairy farm – was actively marketing to bring more cheese operations into the area. It was a perfect fit. Richards responded to the ad, moved from her home in Maine to central New York, and began her new life and career in cheesemaking.
Although the initial details seemed to fall into place, and Richards is currently producing and selling a variety of aged, raw-milk Gouda cheeses, her path up to this point has been met with a few struggles. Richards faced skyrocketing milk and energy prices, flooding, and losing her business partner Yon – who arrived on a limited visa from Europe – eight months into production.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Lancaster Farming.