Is this really your beef? Yes it is. Byron Center Meats does the processing for us but the meat is from our 100% grass-fed beef cows.
Do you have bacon? No. We have it for a few days right after we've had our pigs butchered and then it is sold out until the next butchering. We do try to let everyone
know when it’s in by posting on Facebook.
Is this your milk and butter? No. Since we do not pasteurize our milk, we can not sell anything other than our cheese which has been aged for 60 days. We do carry
Mooville. They are a Michigan dairy. They pasteurize but don’t homogenize so their
products are not quite as processed.
Why is the cheese in the sales basket? Occasionally a piece or 2 will near it's suggested sell-by date, when that happens we offer it at a discount price. We also like to bag up scrap pieces when we are done cutting a wheel. The cheese tastes great but it just isn't in a pretty wedge like what is up on the other shelves.
Can you help me with a cow share question? Most of the time, no. The cow share program and Grassfields Cheese are separate businesses. We will do what we can to help but most of the time we will ask you to call Betsy or Jesse, who are the owners of Green Pastures.
Do you give tours? Yes. You are welcome to come anytime and wander around and we are always happy to tell visitors about the cheese making process. You can also email grassfieldscheese@gmail.com and ask to have a tour scheduled for a group.
Are you all related? In one way or another, yes. Luke and Vicky Meerman own Grassfields Cheese. Luke's brother, Jesse and his wife Betsy, run the dairy and the cow share program. Luke's youngest brother, Jay and his wife Chaeli, take care of the beef cows. Necia, who works on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, is Chaeli's mom. Katie, who works on Mondays, is my daughter. And I am Luke, Jesse, and Jay's cousin by marriage.
When are you open? Monday and Tuesday from 9-5. Friday from 1-5, and Saturday
from
10-2. That being said, I am usually in the shop 40 hours a week. If I am working I will turn the sign around. We ask that you call ahead on Wednesdays and Thursdays to check and see if we are open. Sometimes we have to go out for coffee or we just need to see what Goodwill has to offer.
Do you have curds for sale? No. Curds are fresh cheese. Since we do not pasteurize the milk we can’t sell any form of cheese until it’s aged for 60 days.
Do you have any meat that isn't frozen? In the summer when we are frequently butchering chickens, we have fresh whole birds for a few days after each butchering. The beef and pork come to us from the butcher frozen.
Angela Tramper ~ The Cheese Shop Mafia
