Cheese Class Coming Soon!

Hey Everyone,
We would like to remind you about the upcoming cheese class held at the ranch on Saturday, February 4th. Jessica Tharp wrote this great article for us telling a little bit about the start of Diamond S Delights and the workshop, thanks Jess!

Kris Robertson of Diamond S Delights in Hyattville is offering a unique class showcasing
how anyone can get started in making their own cheese products, as well as other projects like
sourdough bread and other traditional foods. On Feb. 4 we will offer a day-long interactive
workshop for up to 20 people, and the $50 fee includes breakfast and lunch, as well as recipes and
starter ingredients.

Diamond S Delights will showcase up to 10 products, including a variety of cheeses like
Cheddar, Swiss, Feta, Brie, Garlic/Chive and Mozzarella; butter, ghee and buttermilk; kefir &
yogurt; crème fraiche & sour cream; sourdough bread; and a demo on making sauerkraut. People
will get the chance to make their own products and participate in a taste-and-pair of various wines
and cheeses. You’ll get some exercise too as demo’s will be split between the house and the dairy.
Pick and choose - over load or be at leisure. Bring the little ones or have a day away. Games and
outings if the little ones are bored.

The day will begin with early bird registration & milking at 7 a.m. followed by breakfast
with homemade kefir biscuits sausage gravy, juices & smoothies at 8 a.m. We will add the culture to
our first cheese just as we quit for breakfast, as it needs 45 minutes to rest. Cheese making will
officially begin at 8:45, and the workshop will officially conclude at 4 p.m. with the taste-and-pair
to follow from 4-5. Kris said she needs to know of any special dietary needs ahead of time, AND if you will need housing for the night. Housing will be additional fee.

Kris began her Diamond S Delights venture in Hyattville in 2011 when a neighbor expressed interest in making her own cheese. Kris and her husband, Gene, were no strangers to milk cows, having had a family cow all the while raising their family outside of Jackson Hole, leaving that area, moving to Hyattville nearly 24 years ago. Kris entertained the idea of getting back into milking and added one cow to their beef cattle operation, and the project has grown into much more over the last few years. In 2014 Kris broke her leg in several places and was laid up at home after several surgeries and grueling recoveries. She said she simply had no choice but to stay home and make cheese that year, and now her operation is booming with five milk cows, with the help of Gene and local friends like Amelia Eibert who is Diamond S Delights sourdough bread lady and much more, and Emma Green and Blaise Allen all help at the new Hyattville Micro Dairy. They work together to collect 6-12 gallons of A2 whole milk per day, which Kris said is certified as having the most health benefits for human consumption. All of her cows have been certified through genetic DNA testing for this distinction, which includes yields of high butter fat and high protein content in the whey.

Diamond S Delights now supplies up to 30 families in Hyattville, Ten Sleep, Worland, and Greybull with their A2 whole milk, plus many others that stop in or call in special orders for pickup at the little dairy store. Green and Allen have been involved not only in helping with chores when needed, but have really taken on the website and marketing aspect of things, informing people of the health benefits of A2 whole milk. Green herself grew up on a working dairy in upstate New York, which she says her father still runs today. She fit right in at Diamond S, and she and Allen took the milk and cheese products to Lloyd Craft Farms in Worland every week this summer to help serve their 80-100 crop share members. “That kept us busy. It was exciting,” Green said. They also participated in A Taste of Wyoming in Basin in May and July selling and showcasing different products and offering samples to the public.

Robertson said the February class they’re offering is really a response to the public asking her to do it. She’s previously held classes in Wilson a little town west of Jackson Hole and Hyattville with good response. Allen said the rise in public interest is in part due to 2015 legislation called the Food Freedom Act which enabled the public to simply pay for the raw dairy product without being required to be part owner of the animal in a cow-share. People can now purchase the milk and dairy products directly from the producer without owning part of the herd. Robertson said part of their mission at Diamond S is to educate people of the health benefits and help them understand the processes involved in making the products that are available at Diamond S Delights.

For more information or to sign up for the class, contact Robertson at (307) 469-2204 or gkrob324@gmail.com . Space is limited to 20 people, with a minimum of 10 needed to hold the
class. The public may sign up from Jan. 18-30, with their entries paid in full by the 30th to hold their
spot.