The Miller family from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, is on a mission to build a cheese cave, and they’re looking for your support. The family (Sue, Ken and their sons Randy and Jesse) own and operate Birchrun Hills Farm, which offers handmade farmstead cheese made with milk from their herd of Holstein cows. Varieties include Birchrun Blue, Fat Cat, Equinox, Experimental and the elusive Red Cat.
Over the next month, Birchrun Hills Farm hopes to raise the needed funds for a new cheese-making facility. They’ve outgrown the small off-site rental facility where they’ve been making cheese for the last seven years and just don’t have the space to keep up with the growing demand for their cheese from chefs, farmers’ markets and shops around the country. To keep on growing, Birchrun Hills needs a structure where they can make cheese every day.
Here’s where you come in. The farm has secured financing to build the structure for the facility, and they plan to break ground this year. What’s needed now are the funds to outfit their “cave” in order to make cheese: at least $25,000 to purchase a curd vat, shelving (to ripen cheese) and a cooling system. Birchrun Hills has set up a Kickstarter fund to help them with this endeavor, with rewards for various levels of contributions. For example, if you pledge $50 or more, you’ll be able to name one of the Millers’ calves and will receive a picture of the calf you name. For $100 or more, receive a selection of their four signature cheeses, a handwritten thank you note, recognition on their website and a thank you on Facebook and Twitter. Pledges range all the way up to $10,000 or more, at which point you get to run the farm for the day. Always wanted to be a farmer? Now’s your chance to give it a try!
The Kickstarter campaign will run through December 13, 2014. Watch the video below to find out how you can get involved:
- Photography: Albert Yee
