APPLETON, Wis. – Red Barn Family Farms, an Appleton family-owned dairy company, is proud to announce its premium white cheddar cheeses won both a gold and silver medal in the Bandaged Cheddar category at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest in Green Bay on March 9.
Red Barn Family Farms competed against cheesemakers from across the United States. Out of 100 possible points, Red Barn Heritage Weis White Cheddar Reserve received a score of 99.50 for a gold medal, and Red Barn Heritage Weis received a score of 99.35 for a silver medal. Red Barn Family Farms cheddars are made in small batches at Springside Cheese Corporation in Lena, Wis.., by cheesemaker Wayne Hintz.
Red Barn Family Farms is the country’s first dairy procurement company to select milk for its cheeses based upon not only the quality of the raw milk produced by traditional Wisconsin family farms, but also the farmers’ humane treatment of their animals. Founded in 2008 by a local veterinarian and his wife, Dr. Terry and Paula Homan, Red Barn Family Farms has a simple premise: “The healthiest and best cared-for cows produce the best milk and cheese.”
Red Barn Family Farms is made up of eight family farms located between Appleton and Green Bay, all of which were selected by Dr. Homan based upon this very premise— the best milk is produced by an “old-fashioned” ethic and commitment to traditional and humane animal care.
“Red Barn Dairy Products was thrilled to compete so well against U.S. cheesemakers who have been making and selling cheese for years and who have long-standing reputations for excellence,” said Dr. Terry Homan, veterinarian and founder of Red Barn Family Farms. “It once again affirms our belief that the healthiest cows really do make the best milk and cheese.”
“The quality and taste of Red Barn Family Farms milk and cheeses are a direct result of the production style of the family farms we select – their commitment to old-fashioned animal husbandry, as well as the excellence of our cheese-making partner, Springside Cheese,” Dr. Homan said.
Every Red Barn Family Farm must meet stringent standards of animal health, care and milk quality called “The Red Barn Rules.” Dr. Homan believes, based on his 15 years of practicing veterinary medicine, that Red Barn Family Farms are in the top 10 percent of the industry for each benchmark set forth in the Red Barn Rules. The farms are also certified by the American Humane Association. Red Barn Family Farms milks and cheeses are always rBST/hormone-free, wholesome and nutritious.
“It’s not easy to be a Red Barn farm. We set the bar high for our farms,” said Dr. Homan. “Our goal is to make a positive difference in the dairy industry by preserving the best of Wisconsin’s dairy farming traditions—caring for and raising healthy animals that produce the most wholesome dairy products.”
Dr. Homan’s impetus to start Red Barn Family Farms came from his 15 years of dairy veterinary practice in rural northeast Wisconsin and his desire to provide transparency in how milk and cheeses on store shelves are produced.
“I believe these family dairies are the best models of how to care for animals. These farms are proud of their commitment to their cows and proud of their heritage. I am convinced that this difference can be tasted in their milk,” Dr. Homan said.
The American Humane Association agrees. “Red Barn Family Farms are a great example of dairy producers who take social responsibility for both their products and their animals. Their dedication to the absolute health and humane treatment of their animals is reflected in the quality of their milk,” said Tim Amlaw, manager of the American Humane Certified program of the American Humane Association.
Red Barn Family Farms award-winning, “Best of Class” white cheddar cheese is proof that the healthiest animals produce the best milk and cheeses.
In May 2011, Red Barn Dairy Products will be offering a new cheese, “Weinlese”, a cheddar blue produced in partnership with Seymour Dairy of Seymour, Wisconsin.
Red Barn Family Farms milk and cheeses are sold to Wisconsin hospitals, universities, restaurants, and grocery retail and specialty cheese stores in the Fox Valley, Milwaukee and Madison areas.
For more information on Red Barn Family Farms contact Dr. Terry Homan, DVM at (920) 5700648, Paula Homan at (920) 570-0324, or visit www.redbarnfamilyfarms.com.
Source: Red Barn Family Farms