Gothberg Farms is situated on 40 acres of flat, fertile, farmland in Bow, WA. They use only a small portion for the goats and dairy, with the remainder leased out to “the real farmer next door”. Rhonda got her first goats in April of 2002, a mother and doe kid pair. This was supposed to just be the family milk, but it was infectious. The following September, she added two more bred does … and as of February 2009, there were 22 bred does awaiting milk production for Spring.
The scenery surrounding the land is fabulous. They look directly at Mt. Baker and Chuckanut Mountain and can see the San Juan Islands. On clear days the Olympic Mountains and the Canadian Coastal range may also be seen. In fact, the cheese room windows were intentionally placed so the ladies could see Mt. Baker while they work. They say the sunrises and sunsets are really nice there and that they even have “resident” hawks, blue heron, and seasonal eagles, swans, geese, and ducks.
All of Gothberg Farm’s cheese is totally handcrafted. All moulds are filled by hand, turned by hand, and salted by hand. All wrapping and packaging is by hand, some with hand lettering on the labels. Yes, this is labor intensive but affords quality checks at every turn. The low-tech approach is always favored whenever possible. Rhonda believes that to make a great product, it has to be done right from beginning to end.
Which is why the feeding program for the goats at Gothberg Farms has been very well thought out. There is a high emphasis on prevention and health. Rhonda feeds her goats a recipe which is custom mixed by Conway Feed, the local feed mill. They are also given alfalfa hay from Eastern Washington as well as grass hay from Skagit Valley and they have full pasture access 24/7/365.
Hear more from Rhonda about her farm and the cheeses she produces for us here at Boundary Bay Brewery and for her local community. Be sure to check out this interactive map too that shows you where YOU can get Gothberg Farms (other than here at our brewery!).
Bellinghams Best Beer 