Vendor Spotlight: Great Lakes Goat Dairy

Great Lakes Goat Dairy officially launched their branded cheeses in 2011, by founding farmers Anthony and Marj, and partnered farmers Dave and Michele. They each own goat dairy farms, and have been farming for over 20 years. Before Great Lakes Goat Dairy, their milk would be picked up and shipped to be made into cheeses and other goat dairy products elsewhere. Anthony and Marj knew they wanted to eventually be able to make their own cheese from their dairy, so they founded Great Lakes Goat Dairy in 2008. “That was always the goal,” Marj said. “We just took baby steps to get there.” ​

They gradually were able to go from having their cheese made for them, to starting to truck their own milk, package their own orders, and eventually, make their cheese on the farm themselves. But cheese making is more challenging than most people assume, and involves a lot of knowledge, research, science, and practice. “[Cheese making] is scientific, really,” Marj said as she pH tested the fresh batch of goat cheese she was making. “Michele and I both went to The University of Guelph and took cheese making classes there. Now we’re making all the cheese ourselves.” Marj now focuses primarily on cheese making, and Anthony works hard caring for their over 700 goats to produce the highest quality and best tasting goat milk possible. 

Anthony and Marj, and Dave and Michele are no strangers to dairy or farming. Dave began working on a local cow dairy farm when he was 15 years old, and Anthony, Marj and Michele all grew up on cow dairy farms. Dave and Michele went to agricultural college, and actually met on the cow dairy farm that Dave was working at. Collectively, their values of family farming and the desire to provide the market’s best firm goat cheese brought them together. Great Lakes Goat Dairy is proud to say they are a fully family run business, which strives to be clean through natural ingredients and low processing to keep their products as healthy as possible. 

Dave, Michele, and their family have a passion for raising and milking their dairy goats, and they love being able to bring their cheeses to the Horton Farmers’ Market to provide samples and information, and say proudly that this is their cheese. “Goats have such a sense of curiosity and a love of life,” Michele said. “It makes them a challenge and a joy to work with everyday. We love our animals and we love our work; what more could we ask for?” 

As for why Anthony and Marj decided to go the dairy goat farming route, Marj explained that they noticed it was a niche industry, but it was up and coming. “[We saw] more interest in goat products,” said Marj. “So we wanted to get involved in that.” Goat cheeses and dairy products are popular, because it is easier to digest, and it has a unique flavour. They also have a lot of nutritional benefits; they are lower in fat and cholesterol, and higher in calcium and protein. But as much as Marj loves her goat cheese, she still has a soft spot for dairy cow cheeses too. “I don’t want to use the word substitute because [goat cheese] is its own thing,” Marj said. “It’s not about one or the other, it’s just [goat cheese] is another option.” Great Lakes Goat Dairy carries both dairy cow and dairy goat cheese in store, and strives to provide as many types of cheeses as they can. 

They originally started off with cheddar, and now have 15 different cheeses, not including their cheese curds which also come in varied flavours. Marj’s favourite is the cheddars, because it is a good base for different flavour combinations. One of their most popular flavours is their caramelized onion cheddar firm goat cheese. “I’d say that one [the caramelized onion cheddar] really grabs people, but we also have a really nice aged cheddar,” said Marj. “And then when you get into curds, the dill curds are amazing. The black pepper is awesome too.” Great Lakes Goat Dairy is experimenting with their cheese curd flavours, but they currently have 6 different flavours (and we can confirm that they are all delicious and squeaky).

Great Lakes Goat Dairy cheeses can be found all across Canada; from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island, online, at their storefront in Wyoming, ON, and and of course right here at the Horton Farmers’ Market. We are thrilled to have such amazing dairy goat cheeses available right here in St. Thomas, sold by the farmers who care for the goats and make the cheeses themselves. The next time you are at Horton, be sure to keep an eye out for Great Lakes Goat Dairy, and stop by to chat with Michele and her family (and maybe try a sample of their delicious curds)!

Paige Palmer

Paige is happy to be joining the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation as their 2024 Summer Marketing Assistant. She is completing her undergraduate degree this summer with a double major in Media and Communications Studies and Thanatology at Western University and King’s University College. She is excited to help to promote local vendors and businesses this summer, and is looking forward to trying all the delicious and unique produce and products at the Horton Farmers’ Market this summer! Outside of work and school she loves spending time learning about nature, animals, and gardening.