Simply Sheep: A New Jersey Farmer's Move Into the Sheep's Milk Yogurt Market

CREAM RISING
 

Eran Wajswol has been crafting award-winning cheeses on his 120-acre sheep farm in Long Valley since 2005. His Valley Shepherd Creamery line of aged cheeses originally focused on sheep’s milk, but grew to include cheese made from cow as well as goat milk. The farm’s Oldwick Shepherd, Crema de Blue, Califon Tomme and other cheeses are popular picks at farmers’ markets and specialty gourmet stores throughout the region.

Now, the cheesemaker is increasing his emphasis on a new market: yogurt.

“Sheep’s milk yogurt is a niche we can fill in the vast yogurt world where big guys factory make ‘Greek’ yogurt,” says Wajswol. “While ours is whole sheep’s milk, theirs is what I call ‘franken-yogurt; made from low-cost cow milk to taste good with complex mechanical manipulation of milk plus various additives.”

Utilizing minimal ingredients, natural fermentation processes and, of course, sheep’s milk, Valley Shepherd Creamery Sheep’s Milk Yogurt offers an exceptionally creamy texture and outstanding flavor profile.

Wajswol has been making yogurt on a small scale and selling it through select local retailers for many years, but will now expand distribution dramatically. Starting this summer, Valley Shepherd’s yogurt will be available at Whole Foods Markets throughout the Northeast. Wajswol also introduced Simply Sheep, a new milk yogurt line in 4.7-ounce glass jars, at the Fancy Food Show in NYC in June.

Making yogurt requires substantially less time than making cheeses, weeks vs. months required for aging. Thus, it’s easier to scale up quantity and distribution. Wajswol notes the positive impact his expansion could have on the state’s stressed dairy sector.

“The natural move to regional then national distribution [has] to be made to support the ever-growing pressures on the few remaining dairy farmers in NJ.”

valleyshepherd.com