FireFly Farms

FireFly produces their entire line of goat and cow milk cheeses by hand – using apprenticed cheese makers, not machines. Their cheeses are scooped, turned, salted, washed, brushed, and wrapped by hand. They are committed to putting people to work in a part of the country where jobs, particularly head-of-household wage-earning jobs, have become scarce. FireFly Farms sources fresh goat and cow milk from family farms within a 30-mile radius of their creamery. They have mutually beneficial contracts that pay farmers fairly based on the components and quality of their milk. This contract commits their farmers to humane animal husbandry and restricts the use of antibiotics, hormones, and animal feeds that have been treated with chemical or synthetic fertilizers. Their farmers are not forced to manipulate their herds to provide a consistent, year-round milk production. The animals cycle naturally, and they manage their production and aging processes accordingly. Their milk-pricing contract does not penalize producers for “under-production” in winter months, nor “over-production” in summer months. They coordinate closely with their producers regarding anticipated herd growth, and breeding time frames. Their "leftover" whey is captured in a special closed system and is productively used to support their neighbor agri-businesses. This protein-rich, bio-active liquid is not dumped into public sewer or septic; it is captured, refrigerated, picked up by local farmers and fed to livestock. The whey that is not distributed to their local community is safely disposed of at the local water treatment facility.