Cheesemaking Apprentice Cherry Grove Farm +1 more
- Date Posted March 01, 2023
- Location Lawrenceville, NJ
- Category Agriculture / Culinary
- Job type Full-Time
Owned by the Hamill family for more than a century, Cherry Grove Farm was started in 2002 as a direct outgrowth of the Hamills’ passion for the land, their Central Jersey community, and the idea of responsible, sustainable food production. While initially home to beef cattle, pigs, sheep, and laying hens, the farm shifted its focus to the production of artisanal cheeses with the addition of dairy cattle in 2005.
Cherry Grove uses the farmstead cheesemaking model, meaning that we do everything on site, from raising and milking the cows to making and aging our cheese. By keeping the process in-house, we are able to ensure that we are using only the best quality milk from humanely treated cattle who graze through the farm’s 200 plus acres of verdant pasture.
Within a decade of its founding, Cherry Grove established itself as one of the region’s premier cheesemakers, garnering numerous national awards that reflect the care taken in every step of the cheesemaking process.
The quality of our cheese reflects the high standards we keep in stewarding our land. We are committed to practicing regenerative agriculture, regularly rotating where our animals are grazing so that both they and the land remain as healthy as possible. The result is cheese, meat, and eggs that are sustainably produced and delicious — food you can feel good about eating.
We care deeply for the well-being of our land, our animals, and the community we serve — care you can taste in each bite.
Learn cheesemaking from udder to market, though your main focus will be, naturally, making cheese! This includes learning loads of food safety, from training on milk & cheese basic microbio, risk reduction & prerequisite training to HACCP planning. In the cheeseroom, you will learn the basic steps of cheesemaking, work with us on making our line of award winning cheeses and eventually learn to lead your own makes. Sensory training specific to cheese will be had - an appetite to taste cheese often is a must! NO bs, there is a lot of repetitive scrubbing, brushing and washing work with cheese, that is the nature of the beast. A patient personality is a must.
NEW this year we will be experimenting with new recipes, new starters, and a different milk besides cow milk so you will be part of something noteworthy if you join our merry band of cheesemakers and farmers.
You do not need prior cheesemaking experience for this at all. Though a familarity with kitchen work in any way, or having been a cheesemonger, or even worked on a farm - any of those are big pluses. LOVE for cheese an obvious must. This apprenticeship is PHYSICAL day-in, day-out.
On site housing is an option with free wifi and a shared kitchen. 30% off in our farmstore and weekly free protein will thing as part of any apprentice agreement. Compensation this position is : hourly, $15-20/hr
Application instructions