Black Mesa Ranch
Snowflake, Arizona, USA
Artisan Cheese
Nubian Goats
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Cheese and Candy Information and Online Ordering Page
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Updated!
6/07: We have revamped our Ranch Workshop Packages!
In addition to our one and three-day cheese making and goat management workshops learn about our free open- house days and lodging accommodations.
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Award Winning Artisan Goat Cheeses
4 Awards 2005 ADGA National Competition
3 Awards 2004 ADGA National Competition
(available seasonally)
2 Awards 2005 ADGA National Competition
2 Awards 2004 ADGA National Competition
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Click here to read the online version of Kathryn's booklet
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This site last updated:
October 11, 2008
© 2000-2008 Black Mesa Ranch Inc. All Rights Reserved
Arizona Grown!
Sunday, August 01, 2004
cloudy most of the day. Evening wind.
Installed the new commercial icemaker in the dairy kitchen and re-piped the gas to the range and candy stove to accommodate their move (making room for the ice maker). Yesterday’s fresh cheese didn’t come out at all - it was “corny” and nasty - threw on compost pile. My best guess is still a sanitizer problem but I’m (we’re) pretty worried about all this wasted milk.
After pm milking I started a 4-gal raw brie experiment. It BETTER set up by tomorrow AM so I can make a full fresh cheese with some level of confidence. Started the generator at 4 pm and ran it through milking until about 8 pm. Still very low on power in the evening, probably due to the new ice maker in combination with not having any sun all day. Had to run it for a while more before going to bed.
Monday, August 02, 2004
cloudy all day
Made a fresh cheese batch that came out FINE! It must be the sanitizer causing the previous problems. Chucked it all, made new and will use VERY sparingly. Molded yesterday’s raw bries (2) and flipped several times. Called for orders and rolled cheese logs for shipping tomorrow.
Ice machine ran all last night and all of today to the point of almost overflowing. Must be a shut-off that’s not kicking in properly. We turned it off for tonight to give the power situation a break. goofed off for a couple of hours in the afternoon - watched part of a movie!
Shannon and hubby from Phoenix area came to talk about goats mostly. Stayed for a long time. They were nice. Wanted on waiting list for some of next year’s kids
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
mostly sunny, 90
made Boule, continued work on bries.
Had to put dog Roc down today - he was very weak and in obvious pain. It was hard saying good bye to the old lug.
D to town: ship cheeses/PO, Amelia’s delivery, Pepsi, home depot, Walmart, get diesel and new barrel @ 76, feed store, bank, lunch and sandwiches to go, truck gas, etc
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
mostly cloudy
finished support post in guest room. Fixed ice maker so it will shut off automatically (like it is supposed to).
Separated 7 gallons for almost 3 qts of cream. Started a raw skim Romano with the milk. Made Chai.
Got truck cleaned out and ready to go to Phoenix tomorrow to pick up C&J. Cleaned out tools etc from guest room.
Ran generator a lot today.
Still dealing with neighbor Dennis and his accusations that one 1 (or is it 2??) of our dogs have been “terrorizing him”. He just keeps forgetting to talk to us about it.??
Made a huge zucchini Provencal casserole and more cornichon pickles (must have 8 or 10 quarts by now).
Cleaned 357 revolver.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
K did PM milking by herself. K got stuck doing all the cleaning for arriving company.
D to Phoenix to pick up Cynthia and Jim at the airport. Also picked up COB at Westside milling, delivered to Bianco, detailed the car, shopped at Sam’s. Picked up several sandwiches togo at Pane Bianco. Went to soul food lunch downtown w/ C&J then headed home arriving around 8:30PM
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
mostly sunny, 90’s
Started a fresh cheese. Goofed off, recovering from guests (even thought it was a great visit, it was exhausting). Watched a few hours of PVR, milked early in PM.
Ford and Kody still put up in goat pen overnight. Blue looks like he’s been getting a workout on his own
D took CFK & Jim to town to catch bus shuttle to Phoenix for their flight home. Also hit PO and Amelia’s for cheese shipping/delivery.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
partly cloudy with afternoon wind and sprinkles
Made a raw cheddar, unbagged a batch of Fresh cheese, rolled logs for tomorrow orders.
Got caught up on back-log of order data entry work. Faxed an account review to Susan @ Pane Bianco. Faxed a missing invoice to Amelia’s garden for payment. Confirmed C of C meeting/order for tomorrow.
Cut styro for shipping boxes. K did research on potasium deficiencies (human).
Got new back-up program installed on K’s computer and ran a session for most important files. D did back-up too.
Garden harvesting and work. Made more cornichon pickles (have about 10 quarts now)
Saturday, August 14, 2004
sunny am, clouded up with t-storms in afternoon/evening
Monday, August 16, 2004
mostly sunny am, clouding with showers, cool evening
Finished boxing cheese and candy orders for Julie/BMR pickup.
Unbagged yesterdays Fresh cheese. Not bad, but draining a little unevenly (some firm curd lumps in pate). Got cheeses ready for orders going out tomorrow.
Hand-rolling fresh cheese logs for the week's orders
Bug seems all better.
Julie (Pane Bianco) and husband Hector to BMR @ 11PM to see operation, pick up some candy and cheese orders etc. Stayed for a while and visited
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
mostly sunny, clouding afternoon. COOL
Started a fresh cheese early in anticipation of having to leave for K’s doc appointment @ 9:30 am but it was cancelled. Bagged cheese after pm milking - it looked and smelled great. Drained and flipped new Brie experiments - they are looking fine.
K found a horse rescue place in Sierra Vista with very reasonable rates for adoption. The one horse she liked had been sold already but she will keep looking with them.
K&D to town: PO, delivery to Amelia’s, feed store, post Ford and Buck flyers @ vet’s office, and McD’s lunch. First day of the school year and micky-d’s was a zoo. Bosco followed us part way up San Carlos on the way out and wasn’t home when we got back. D cruised the road beween the Ranch and the main road numerous times but found no sign of him. Posted “Lost Dog” signs around the area & Country Store in hopes somebody responsible picked him up and is looking for his owners. Bosco still not back by 11PM. Hope somebody calls tomorrow.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
sunny, cool day with clouds and storms in afternoon k
nocked off a bunch of little, misc. Jobs unbagged yesterday’s fresh cheese - perfect!
Signed up as a vendor for the 2004 Taylor Sweet Corn Festival, Saturday 9/4/04. did some estimates of product necessary and stared work on some of the printing required (labels, brochures, banners, signs, etc), and making lists of stuff to do/bring/make.
Made a mock-up of the dessert I will be entering in the BBBS auction a week from Saturday (toffee jewel box with truffles).
Got a call at about 9am that a neighbor (charlene) had Bosco. She had seen him on the roam very near our property gates, stopped to check him out and he had jumped into her car. She fed and watered him overnight before calling around to find his owner.
K continued work on finding a good horse or two to acquire for the ranch, concentrating on various AZ rescue groups.
Monday, August 23, 2004
sunny and windy all day
started a fresh cheese and a 4-gallon brie experiment. Fresh cheeses have not been going well with bizzarre curd draining and lumpy results. Tried new sanitizing procedures again but after bagging at 7pm, they look funny already.
K’s new horse Sandy seems great today. We took her out of her yard several times on walks and, despite her sore feet, she was a trooper, wanting to go faster than we could. K thinks she is doing better and is a nicer, better mannered and more alert horse than she had thought she was getting.
Kathryn and Sandy
Gardened for a while today, harvesting, weeding, watering.
Filled the well tank.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
warm with breezes
Spent the morning getting orders and the “Box of Jewels” dessert finished for delivery. Left about 10 am, got back around 5:pm.
Delivered cheese to nature’s realm. Took cheeses and fancy dessert to Torreon for BBBS benefit and auction. Chinese lunch at place by nature’s Realm. Looked at some horse tack (K bought a book), shopped at Walmart and bought 2 very full cases of mild green chiles.
Peeled chiles after PM milking until finishing at almost 11:30 pm
Sunday, August 29, 2004
sunny, 90’s, breezes
made fresh cheese batch and got it bagged. Made more specific plans for the Corn Festival and did up some signs. burned trash, took non-burnables to dump.
Sandy’s first solo adventrue on the property. She was gone an hour os so then came back for a drink in her pen. What a good girl - a natural for the ranch.
M&G checked our Ford’s new potential home in Tucson and said it was AOK. They will be coming up this coming weekend (Labor day) for a visit and bring him back down with them on their return trip.
Did a wee bit of gardening.
Filled Hardy generator with 55 gals of diesel.
Monday, August 30, 2004
sunny am, partly cloudy afternoon, breezes
unbagged yesterday’s fresh cheese and rolled it into logs for corn festival. Good yield again (28 lb).Made BIG batchs of bis-goaties. And sliced a bunch of bread for toasts
Set-up EZ-UP tent for first time and worked on fastening banner and discussing where signs would go etc.8 oz tubs arrived via UPS for L’Avec spreads for corn festival. Worked on printing several hundred brochures and some more signs. Cut up 2 styro sheets and assembled 20 12x12 insulated boxes
Got confirmation and payment for cheese for Buckley wedding in Tucson which ships Wednesday. K has gotten some encouraging answers from the woman in Gilbert about her 2YO Appy filly she has for sale. She’ll come down to $750 (from $1000) and throw in some tack. Sounds promising.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
mostly sunny
Made a feta.
Worked most of the day prepping for the Corn festival event: made 2, 10# L’Avec and packaged them, cut and packaged 20# capriana, seasoned/wrapped& labeled some fresh cheeses ,began draining aged feta for wrapping, pulled more fresh curd for forming, worked on printing labels and signs, put together photo album and mailing list sign-up sheets,
It looks like K has found TWO other horses to bring to the ranch: a very young (7 month) male Arabian (free) and a 2 YO Apaloosa ($750 inc. some tack). Both are in Phoenix area so we are trying to arrange going down again next Tuesday to see/get them. She also found a ferrier in the area willing to come out and show her how to care for Sandy’s troubled hoofs. He’ll be out this Thursday.
The bucks are really starting to act "rutty"
The Boys are getting seriously excited about their upcoming annual work-fest
Moved one of "the bombs" (old propane tanks) from "Trailer Park" over to (hopefully) be able to use for the dairy. Out to dinner at Phineas T’s in Pinetop.