Flower Mound, TX Cheesemaker Says It's All About The Goats

Not every goat named the state’s best of breed also makes award-winning cheese, but such is the case for Sonara, one of 22 goats belonging to Anne Jones. Her Latte Da Dairy in Flower Mound is at the heart of a Texas artisan cheesemaking movement that’s earning national recognition.

On her tiny farm, Jones crafts cheeses that rival the best in the world — and you don’t have to fly to France to get them. Eating her cheese, we join the privileged few for whom what’s utterly local is also world-class.

Twenty-odd goats on a plot in Texas may seem unlikely candidates to challenge the cheesemaking giants of Vermont and California. At the annual American Cheese Society competition, Jones’ farmstead goat cheeses contend with icons such as Maytag Blue and Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. The stakes are high. Many contestants have been perfecting their recipes for years, some passing them down for generations.

Yet, starting with only two goats and no experience in cheesemaking, this veterinarian turned cheesemaker went from novice to star within a year. When she entered the American Dairy Goat Association competition in the amateur category in 2006, her kalamata olive feta took first place. Winning in the amateur category got her hooked, she says. She’s been winning awards ever since.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Dallas Morning News