Goodgrass Farm
We get a lot of questions about where folks can find good milk for making cheese in Texas. We know it’s a big state, but here’s a farm, just north of Houston doing everything right.
The Bocks typically milk 15 cows. The cows are pasture fed, never grained and milked once/day.
The milk is a mix of Jersey, Guernsey, and Ayrshire. You can make good cheese with the raw milk they sell.
(But call ahead- they sell out regularly.)
The couple had lived on the farm for over 25 years when they built their dairy and started milking 4 years ago.
When they first started, they were making Camembert for the Houston restaurant trade. When the restaurants closed because of the virus, they switched to selling raw milk and making cheese for retail.
Now, they make their own cheddar-style cheese, quark, feta, fromagina (culture from New England Cheesemaking Supply Co.), cottage cheese, kefir and butter. Of course, legally they have to pasteurize for the soft cheeses.
Three days of the week, they bottle their milk, cream and kefir for direct retail.
Three other days, they use their milk (about 85 gallons) for making hard cheese, with a yield of one pound of cheese for each gallon of milk.
With the 7th day’s milk, they make feta, the soft cheeses, cottage cheese and butter.
They have the capacity to make a lot more cheese than they do but that depends on how many cows the grass can support.
They need to plant 20 acres of oats & clover to get the cows through the winter. They time their calving window so that the cows come into milk about the time the oats are ready.
At first there is only enough to graze 2 hours a day. The rest of the day they have free choice of hay or balage. As the season goes on there is enough greenery to leave the hay.
Small But Mighty Local Market
John & Camille are very supportive of other small businesses in their area and they have a farmer’s market at their farm every third Sunday from 2-5. (Check their Facebook page for information about upcoming markets.)
Goodgrass Farm LLC
goodgrassfarmllc.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GoodgrassFarmLlc/
9924 Bilnoski Road
Willis, TX 77378
(936) 523-0743
dairyman@goodgrassfarmllc.com
STORE HOURS
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
or by appointment
Closed October – December to allow their cows 60 days to prepare for their next calves.
Camille Johnson says
Love what you guys are doing!! Some of favorite things about Goodgrass is how delicious and bright yellow their butter is. So greatful ya’ll are so local.
Aline LaForge says
Camille and John, your farm name and your golden butter say it all…Goodgrass indeed! What beautiful and happy cows. I admire your resilience to the changes and your community is lucky to have you in their midst.
Cathy B says
Camille and John are absolutely dedicated to nothing but the highest quality in all their products and supporting other like-minded Texas producers! There is no compromise and it shows…and tastes!!
Ricki Carroll says
Camille and John, thank you so much for your stories, it looks like you are having a lot of fun, pay attention to all the details and bring lot’s of love to your work. What more can anyone ask for!
Please accept another BIG Thank You from the bottom of my heart for bringing Love into the world for others to share and for reminding us, with great care and generosity this time and effort carries love to all the people you supply with your products. Which helps build community and compassion in all who know you.
In Peace, Love and Cheese, Ricki
Terri Bergunzi says
Beautiful work, I Love it!
Zorana Marquez says
Camile and John are dedicated in providing the best milk. As a current customer their dairy is so clean and organized. The cows look healthy, happy and beautiful! The milk is perfect for cheesemaking. And the butter truly comes out that yellow!
Susan says
Well, there is no doubting that the milk is from all-grass-fed cows who spend their days in the sunshine…that has to be the orange-iest butter that I’ve ever seen anywhere in the world! Wow. And your milking and make rooms look so spotless. You look like seasoned pros, not just 4 year “newbies”! I wish that you could ship your cheeses, as I would buy some, and I certainly wish that I lived close enough to buy your incredible milk. Obviously your cows enjoy being milked; I love seeing how one of them hovers at the window as if to say “is it milking time yet?” 🙂 Love this story! Small (but mighty) producers are the BEST!
Joe Donnelly says
Good to see a wee bit of Scottish in the milking of Ayrshire coos.
James Harrington says
I love seeing these stories. I wish I were younger I would start so much sooner. Not that I’m giving up by any means. It just takes longer. I love seeing people doing so well as these folks. Sooooo envious and pleased!
Charles Delcambre says
Camille and John, your farm and dairy looks fabulous! Your keeping local patrons satiated with raw milk, butter, kefir, cream and cheese is quite admirable! Beautiful photos!
And beautiful cheddar! Wish I was closer to your dairy. I would definitely love to make some cheese out of your raw milk! Peace and blessings!