Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s a collection of some of the most asked questions we get about our farm and our products:

Are your products pasteurized?

Yes, and No.

The no first: All of Balfour Farm’s aged cheeses are made from fresh, certified organic not pasteurized whole milk. It’s a mouthful, but this is a legal term we need to used for labelling purposes. In layman’s terms? Our hard cheeses are made with raw milk. For all our products, we use milk produced by our herd of organic Normande cattle. Our herd has been recognized for the quality of its milk, winning numerous awards. Our cheeses are made by hand in small batches in the farmstead creamery. Grazing our cattle can impart subtle changes in color, flavor and texture of the cheeses. The varied diet of our cows creates unique flavors from batch to batch and throughout the year.

The yes: Our fresh and ripened cheeses are made with pasteurized milk. More legal terminology here- a fresh cheese is a cheese that is aged less than 60 days. Our milk is pasteurized by the vat pasteurization method, which some believe to be gentler on the milk because it is not pumped through multiple machines and is heated at a lower temperature. Our fresh cheeses are: Bevre, Marcy, Bloomfield, Feta(although we do make some raw milk feta too- it’s well labelled, but if your not sure, just ask), and the Yogurts.

How many cows do you milk?

We are in the process of increasing our herd numbers and will be milking 20 cows by the end of 2025. We have had a closed herd since 2007. This means we do not buy in cattle, preferring to raise all of our own cattle. Our barn holds 12 cows per milking session. When more are milking, we switch out cows. The number of cows actually milking changes throughout the year as we are calving. We’ve milked as few as 6, usually in the winter months or early spring as we are waiting for cows to freshen(have a calf).

Are your cows grass fed?

Our cows eat a significant amount of hay, grass & baleage(fermented green hay). But they also have organic grain each day at milking- the grain helps to balance the vitamins and minerals in their diet and can provide some extra protein and energy the hay may lack. In general, our cows get 1-2 scoops of grain each morning at milking(we only milk once a day). This would be 8-10# of grain which comprises a very small amount of their overall diet considering they spend the rest of the day filling up on hay or grass. Fresh cows, one that has recently calved, and high producers would require more grain to balance their diet than a cow that is preparing to dry off(stop milking for 60 days before calving).

What kind of rennet do you use?

Our cheeses are made with microbial rennet, and as such would be considered ‘vegetarian friendly’.  There are a few cheeses (Feta, Marcy, Bloomfield, Bevre)that have an additional enzyme, lipase, which is an animal derived ingredient. This is used to enhance flavor of our Bevre and Feta cheeses and aid in the breakdown of fats, which creates the runny texture of Marcy and  Bloomfield as they age. Although it is a very small amount, cheeses containing lipase would not be suitable for strict vegetarians.

Pine Tree, our Parmesan style hard cheese, uses a natural calf rennet for a more traditional recipe.

Are you certified organic?

Our farm crops, catttle, processing and products are certified organic under the USDA’s National Organic Plan(NOP). Our farm is inspected and certified by MOFGA(Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association). They inspect our records, farm practices, animals, labeling, ingredients, purchasing records and products yearly. All of our dairy products are certified organic.

Our beef is from steers or retired dairy cows. It is considered certified organic until it leaves the farm for processing. We do not label the beef organic as it requires additional inspection at the processing plant. We may add this certification in the future if our volume of beef increases.

In 2022, we switched our chickens to certified organic birds and grain. Our eggs are now certified organic.

Our pigs and pork products are not certified organic. They are fed non-GMO grains.

Are you a licensed producer?

We are licensed for dairy production by the Department of Quality Assurance for the State of Maine. The dairy inspectors conduct regular inspections and product testing. We strongly feel that the best quality and safest products for sale to the general public are ones produced from licensed dairies. We are proud members of the Maine Cheese Guild since 2011 and endorse their Quality statement.

How big are your cheese wheels?

Wheel sizes can vary: Due to the nature of our small herd, we are not always working with the same amount of milk for each batch. Wheel weights can vary, so the listed weights for full wheel and portions are estimated. We try to get them as close as possible and will make adjustments to invoices if needed.  

Do you ship cheese?

Yes! We love to send cheese love across the country! We ship on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. If your order is not received in time for processing, we may hold it over until the following week.  We will let you know if there will be a delay. We utilize UPS ground for all close orders, two day air if you are too far away for ground shipping. Orders can be placed through the website “Shop” page. When you place your order, you will be asked to pay for the product with shipping costs based on your location(UPS rates sometimes this need adjustments, but we will let you know). You are charged only the cost of product with shipping/packaging. We do not utilize ‘handling charges”.

Do you wholesale?

Yes we do! We have an extensive list of locations in Maine that are either serving our cheeses in their eating establishments, or have our products for sale. Check out Find Our Products.

Are you interested in purchasing our cheeses for your store, restaurant or cheese shop? Please send your contact information by email to: balfourfarm@gmail.com and we will be in touch!

Do you have more questions? Reach out and we are happy to answer them!