Country Gardens Farm

Internships are available. We also accept farm visitors through the WWOOFUSA program. Goats are allowed to freely browse on 80 acres of unsprayed woodland and meadows (no herbicides, no pesticides, no commercial fertilizers), no antibiotics in the milk. Their cool-season diet is supplemented by quality alfalfa hay in winter months and whole grains only (usually oats; no corn) while in the milking stanchion. They produce milk at their own pace (no pushing production with growth hormones or high-protein forced diets.) The chickens range freely over the property, have a diet supplemented only by whole grains, and go to sleep at night without artificial light (no forced egg-laying). Our artisan cheeses are made the old-fashioned way: * The goats are milked by hand; * The milk is processed a few gallons at a time (not huge vats the size of swimming pools); * The curd is allowed to develop with time in covered stainless steel pots wrapped with cotton towels for insulation; * The curd is hung in 100% cotton butter muslin fabric (a tightly woven form of cheesecloth) to drain off the whey; and * The whey drains for between 12 to 24 hours and is captured. It is then fed back to the farm animals, such as dogs and chickens or used in baking homemade bread when time allows. These are the old methods. They produce a cheese that is especially fresh, minimally touched, and imprinted with quality. Located 17 miles East of Stillwater, OK; 40 miles West of Tulsa; and 8 miles North of Cushing.