Introducing Peter Kress, the Owner, and Cheesemaker extraordinaire at Swallow Ridge Farm in New Boston, NH! Now journey back to the 1980s in Maine, where a vision was born. Peter and a friend aspired to enter the cheese industry with the vision of creating a market for Maine’s dairy farmer’s milk. Peter embarked on a journey of mastering cheese making techniques at the University of Wisconsin. Returning armed with knowledge and expertise, he then learned production techniques at a small Vermont plant before establishing the Maine Cheese Company with his friend, Maine's very first cheese factory. 16 years later Peter sold the factory (while retaining all the Swiss Cheese equipment for potential use in the future), and decided it was time for his family to relocate to Massachusetts and continue his career in education administration.
Fast forward to 2013 when Peter and Katie purchased the Swallow Ridge Farm in New Boston, NH. This once abandoned property presented them with challenges. They transformed the farm, initially focusing on cattle farming. It was a lot of work to raise cattle and in 2020, they decided that making cheese (Swiss in particular) was Peter’s passion and that is what they should do. It would be better for their lifestyle not to mention a lot less messy than raising cattle. Besides, it also smells so much better!
Peter and Katie erected a compact structure within one of their barns; constructing walls and ceilings while pouring concrete floors to create a sanitized space conducive for cheese-making. After consultations with numerous individuals as well as state authorities in New Hampshire regarding necessary regulations, Peter and Katie started making cheese two years ago!
Swallow Ridge Farm takes pride in producing an impressive selection of 14 distinct flavors of exceptional artisan cheeses. These artisanal creations are meticulously made using raw milk sourced from local dairy farms, which undergoes rigorous testing both upon collection and within the farm's cheese factory. The process of creating each batch begins early in the morning, around seven o'clock, as Peter commences his day at the cheese plant. He ensures that everything is cleaned and operational. Approximately 2000 pounds of milk are picked up and poured into their sizable 300-gallon vat, where it is gradually brought up to the required temperature level. Culture and rennet are subsequently added to initiate the transformation process. Through skilled cooking techniques, curds eventually separate from whey by day's end. The desirable curds then continue their journey to become flavorful cheese while the whey is spread on their fields providing additional nourishment to the soil.
The cheese requires a minimum aging period of 60 days. Swallow Ridge Farm boasts a spacious walk-in cooler that can accommodate up to 20,000 pounds of cheese. While certain types like cheddar necessitate storage for up to a year, most cheeses typically mature over the course of 60 days. To facilitate the aging process, they are initially shaped into wheels weighing approximately 10 pounds before being sliced into wedges weighing around 8 ounces. These wedges are then vacuum-sealed, subjected to shrinkage through hot water treatment, dried thoroughly, and finally labeled and dated for identification purposes.
The competition in the cheese industry is intense. Peter and Katie, under the guidance of SCORE mentors Terry Zysk and John Stewart, are currently focusing on defining their unique position in the market. They are exploring various avenues to market their products. The SCORE mentors are invaluable in helping them strategize their next steps while taking into consideration Peter and Katie's desired lifestyle. Peter commented that “SCORE has certainly changed and is light years from what I experienced 40 years ago. You are a big organization and you're all working together. It's been nice because we don't feel pressured. SCORE mentors have been supportive in whatever direction we want to go, and they're patient with how fast we want to go in that direction.”
They sell their products at 5 farmer’s markets in the summer and during the autumn and winter seasons Katie takes charge of managing the farm’s store in New Boston. To attract visitors and potential customers, they organize factory tours, and they send out newsletters giving a preview of upcoming cheeses and events. They have also partnered with a distributor, provide cheese to other farm stores, and are planning to launch an e-commerce website. Peter and Katie actively participate in cheese conferences where they stay updated on the latest ideas, techniques, and trends related to cheesemaking.
Peter, Katie, other NH cheese makers, and a group of dairy specialists from UNH have recently collaborated to establish an association or guild for cheese producers in New Hampshire. Their objective is to create an organization that can attract outside NH experts for assistance in areas such as regulatory compliance, cheese production techniques, and the evaluation of cheese quality. By fostering collaboration among industry professionals, the goal is to enhance the overall standard of cheese making in New Hampshire and to assist NH dairy farmers by utilizing their milk.
