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When Katherine McLeod lived in Switzerland, she dreamed of coming home to the U.S. to start a business that combined the best of the Old and New Worlds. She made that dream real with McLeod Farms and Creamery at Oak Grove Meadows.
Set on 560 lush acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Oak Grove Meadows is home to 200 Ayrshire dairy cows, a group of dedicated people and a creamery where handcrafted organic raw-milk cheeses are produced.
Named after the Scottish county where the breed originated over 250 years ago, Ayrshires thrive on pasture and are known for their hardiness and ability to withstand the heat of a Virginia summer. The high-protein milk they produce is used for the cheeses made at the farm. Males are sold as young dairy beef, called Rosie Veal. The red-and-white-faced Ayrshires graze on a rich assortment of indigenous grasses and plants that grow on the land without pesticides or fertilizers.
“We love our cows. Raising them on pasture makes their milk taste better and infuses our cheeses, not just with nutrients but also with the flavor of the land,” said McLeod.
McLeod’s cheeses are hand-crafted and aged on boards cut from the plentiful oak groves on the farm -- a process that contributes to the cheeses' unique flavor.
McLeod is committed to farming the land “organically, humanely and sustainably” and protecting the diversity of the ecosystem. The farm holds a certified organic rating from Quality Assurance International Inc., a national certifying organization.
To McLeod, farming sustainably means bringing in as little from the outside as possible. No genetically modified organisms, fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides are used. Pastures are fertilized with the composted byproducts of farming. Waste water from the farm and the creamery passes through a system of terraced reedbeds before being reintroduced safely into the watershed.
In addition to raising Ayrshires and making cheese, McLeod is committed to using her farm to prove that sustainable, humane farming practices are good business. As part of this mission, she devotes time to sharing her farming and business practices with other farmers and producers.
Toward that end, McLeod invites interns to work at the farm and creamery, where they learn firsthand about modern organic farming techniques. Master cheesemakers from Europe come to share their knowledge and to collaborate with employees to create hand-made raw milk cheeses that are unique to the farm.
“By sharing knowledge and experience, and by combining the best of traditional practices and modern farming techniques, we're trying to build a model of a successful business that benefits everyone it touches,” says McLeod.
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