Just four years ago, Karen Bianchi-Moreda sat in the audience in Sonoma and listened to experts explain how to make it in the artisan cheese business.
Last week, she herself was a panel member at the Sonoma Valley Cheese conference, explaining how her Valley Ford farm is making and selling its Estero Gold cheese.
In her favor, Bianchi-Moreda has her farm's 440 Jersey cows to give her cheese a rich, buttery flavor. She also has the help of family: brother Steve Bianchi, father Paul Bianchi and now her son, Joe Moreda, a recent college graduate, fifth-generation farmer and a new cheese maker for their Valley Ford Cheese Co.
"You're going to see more diversification from all dairy families," said Bianchi-Moreda. Making cheese and other value-added dairy products will attract those families that "want to somehow stay" on the farm.
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