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Image courtesy Keely Childers Heany
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Image courtesy Linden Dale Farm
Listening to Mary Mellinger’s laugh as she describes how her family of eight built a business from scratch and takes care of more than 100 goats, while still managing to have fun at the same time, might make a person wonder how it’s all possible. But hearing their story about hard work, continuing education and a passion for the land that has raised seven generations of Mellingers, it all really makes sense for this family. With her husband, Andrew and their six children, Mellinger has built a name for Linden Dale Farm as a premier, farmstead goat cheese brand that gains new loyal customers every week at Lancaster Central Market, one sample at a time.
To truly be considered a farmstead cheese, the cheese must be made on the same farm where the milk is collected, and Linden Dale Farm does just that, with all of the products produced in a modest cheese room right on site. Ever since Andrew sold the farm’s original dairy cows as a herd and brought home six goats just three months later, the goats’ milk has since been helping rewrite the farm’s history.
The first batch of cheese was made after Andrew picked up a cookbook written by St. Benedictine nuns. “I used a recipe from the cookbook, and with a two-gallon home pasteurizer, a two-gallon bucket, and a pillowcase, I made my first chèvre” she says. And with that first batch, a passion and a business were born.
From there, without the help of any employees, it was all hands on deck with each child contributing. “We couldn’t have gotten the business off the ground without them,” says Mary. “All of the children really blossomed with their own gifts,” she adds.
Indeed, after their two oldest sons, Abram and Andy Jr., came home from college they really helped out on the farm, including building an underground concrete vault with wooden shelves conceived from the old-fashioned French caves used to age cheese.
Abram had spent some time in France and Ireland doing a semester with WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), an endeavor that pairs volunteers with farmers, so he could work on multiple goat farms, and that’s when he “really fell in love with cheesemaking,” says Mary. The cave keeps humidity constant and creates unique cheesemaking opportunities. Abram’s experiences also helped add to the French-style influence of the farm’s current products.
With the addition of the cave, their farm produces a variety of “cave-aged” cheeses like their famous Tomme de Linden Dale—firm, yet creamy, and made from raw milk with a natural rind that adds to the “farm-specific and unique” flavor profile. Also cave-aged are the Gouda (aged 10 to 24 months) and a grating cheese called Caprino Romano with hints of butter and caramel.
Their ever popular, French-style chèvre (meaning “goat” in French) comes in a variety of flavors from savory to sweet. The creamy, spreadable cheese is mildly tart in garlic and dried chive varieties. Rounding out the sweet category are honey, honey lavender, and honey with dried cranberries. The honey lavender was initially “proposed by a customer,” says Andrew. Being face to face with the customers each week at markets, especially Lancaster Central Market, has really allowed for a lot of customer feedback. “But I never compromise my standards,” Andrew adds with a laugh.
Two other cheeses that they offer are a little more unique, in that Mary says both are traditionally made from cow’s milk. The Mellingers created a Bulgarian-style feta cheese that is brine-aged with a crumbly texture and a salty, sharp flavor. Conversely, their mozzarella boasts a creamy texture and a tangy flavor.
One of the things that Mary is most proud of is the nutritional profile of her goats’ milk products (in addition to cheese, also available as milk and yogurt). “Andrew and I loved microbiology in college and agricultural education. It’s actually very scientific making cheese—so fascinating, the food chemistry,” says Mary. She explains to customers that the composition of goat’s milk is closest to human milk, making it easier to digest. She recommends it to anyone who has cow milk allergies or lactose intolerance, or simply anyone from nursing moms to older adults.” “And it tastes great,” she exclaims.
The farm where the Mellingers live and make all of these amazing products is a story in itself, with the land originally being awarded to the first owner by William Penn. From there it was purchased by the first generation of Mellingers. A date stone on the barn says 1797, and Mary proudly talks about their home as original down to the horsehair plaster and historical colors. Mary says it was quite a shock when she initially moved to the farm with Andrew, but she now warmly says, “it’s an honor being a Mellinger.”
Forging ahead, there’s a huge commitment from the whole family to be “sustainable and green,” with intentions of using by-products responsibly and reusing everything possible. Going forward, Mary says, “our farm is here to stay!”
Linden Dale Farm
127 Herr Road, Ronks, PA / 717-687-8008
Lancaster Central Market / 23 N. Market St., Lancaster, PA
