Green Dirt Farm: Discovering the Art and Craft of Sheep's Milk Cheese
This past weekend, I took a drive to Weston, MO, to learn more about one of my favorite suppliers for All Live: Green Dirt Farm. Touring their pastures, milking parlor, and cheese kitchen provided such insight into their meticulous process. Founded by Sarah Hoffmann in 1998, the farm began commercial cheese production in 2008 and has continued expanding ever since. In 2016, they opened a café and cheese shop near the farm, and, most recently, launched Green Dirt on Oak—a restaurant and event space in downtown Kansas City that opened in February 2024. This steady growth has placed Green Dirt Farm among the most respected names in American artisanal cheese.
A fun memory from my honeymoon shows just how far they’ve come: my husband and I stumbled across one of their cheeses in a small wine and cheese bar in Amsterdam! I was floored to see their cheese on the menu, knowing they were importing all the way from Missouri. It’s a true testament to Green Dirt’s reputation in the cheese industry.
While the U.S. is home to more than 40,000 dairy farms, only a few produce sheep's milk, making it a niche market with little competition. They mentioned only about 10 of the farms make cheese from the milk. Sheep’s milk is ideal for cheesemaking, yielding a high milk-to-cheese ratio due to its richness in milk solids and fat content—nearly double that of cow's milk. This high-fat profile not only makes for exceptionally creamy cheeses but also means higher levels of calcium and vitamins A, B, and E, adding an extra layer of nutritional value.
Green Dirt offers public tours on Saturdays at 11 a.m., which was a fascinating inside look at the cheesemaking process, from culturing and curdling to molding, salting, and aging. As a grass-based farm with animal welfare certifications, Green Dirt prioritizes the health and welfare of their sheep, spending years refining their pasture’s nutritional profile.
After the tour, we sampled some of their cheeses. Naturally, we couldn’t resist ordering a cheese board and bottle of wine at the café to extend the experience. Here are my top three Green Dirt favorites:
Dirt Lover: This creamy, brie-like cheese has a unique flavor, thanks to a coating of vegetable ash that gives it a delicate, nutty taste. It’s been a 1st Place winner at the American Cheese Society Awards in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Woolly Rind: Rich and buttery with subtle umami undertones, Woolly Rind has a flavor profile similar to Dirt Lover. This one is also award-winning, and a real crowd-pleaser.
Fresh Rosemary Spreadable Sheep’s Milk Cheese: This spreadable cheese, with its texture reminiscent of ricotta or goat cheese, is unaged, fresh, and earthy, with rosemary adding a savory twist.
I love incorporating these cheeses into my 4-course meals at All Live, whether pairing them with fresh pasta, complementing a seasonal vegetable, or featuring them in small bites. For instance, I once created a pastry cup filled with whipped cheese, butternut squash, maple pecans, parsley oil, and honey. I aim to source as many ingredients locally as possible—not only for their superior flavor and nutrients but also to support our local economy and promote environmental sustainability.
