New venture--old farm.

Cheese lovers in western North Carolina have just received an unexpected boon. Fullam Creamery, with its newly opened on-farm retail store, will provide fresh Hispanic-style cheeses made from top-quality cow's milk from the Fullam family dairy. These cheeses will be the only locally-produced traditional Hispanic cheeses in western North Carolina. They are meant to satisfy a growing demand for flesh cheeses in local communities, and are available to consumers directly from the farm, as well as from the finest local restaurants and grocers.

Lynette Raines is a fourth generation dairy farmer. When the Fullam family decided to start a new business venture to market more directly to consumers, she and her sister-in-law Claret Fullam jumped at the chance. "We've been joined at the hip ever since!" says Claret. The Fullam Dairy is located in the Etowah area of Henderson County, NC.

The sisters-in-law are full of energy and excitement for their new project, which they have been planning since 2002. It has been a long and demanding process of learning and experimentation, and as Lynette says, "We both do it all--mop floors, clean windows, and make the cheese." After years of effort and planning they are finally ready to take their product to customers. Claret and Lynette chose to begin the new business with a focus on Hispanic-style fresh cheeses. The cheeses they make are Queso Fresco (literally "fresh cheese"), a crumbly cheese with a fresh, slightly salty flavor that is perfect for sprinkling into soup or over a salad; Panela, a smooth cheese similar to Mozzarella that can be used in cooked dishes such as enchiladas or pizzas; and naturally-flavored yogurt cheese. Future plans include making gouda cheese and possibly ice cream. The traditional Hispanic cheeses, Claret explains, are sure to fill a niche in western North Carolina food markets where there is strong demand.

Fresh cheeses should be local ... Lynette and Claret have hit on a good idea in choosing to market these cheeses locally. Traditionally, cheeses like Queso Fresco and Panela are delivered to market wrapped in banana leaves and kept for only five days. The fresh taste that is characteristic of these special cheeses can only be experienced soon after they are made, which is not possible if they must travel thousands of miles (as most food products do) to reach stores in western North Carolina. It is easy to see why they are at their best when sold directly from the farm.

Claret and Lynette are proud of the quality of their cheeses. The cows of Fullam Dairy are kept healthy without antibiotics or rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone), something that Lynette and Claret know that customers in western North Carolina will appreciate.

The decision that the Fullam family made to take some of their dairy products directly to customers in a "value-added" form like cheese has impacts that go beyond just good business sense. The end result of their decision is that it will help the Fullam family to continue farming. As Lynette says, "If the farm doesn't succeed, that's a whole way of life that's gone for the family. And not just the people who work on the farm, but for everyone that's connected to it in some way."

Lynette insists, "People need to be reminded of how much work goes into bringing food to the table. They need to know that their food is being produced safely, cleanly and properly." This is made possible when farmers are able to sell directly to customers, and when consumers make the choice to buy directly from farmers. Now, Lynette says, she feels right being in the family business. It feels like home for her to be on the farm.

Watch for their grand opening this summer and look for Fullam Creamery cheeses at fine food stores in western North Carolina. Call the Creamery at 828-891-2086 for hours and grand opening date. Find farms, stores and restaurants that serve locally-produced food in the Local Food Guide, available on newsstands throughout the region and online at www.AppalachianGrown.org.