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This week we have some sad news. Leroy Plank, our Amish sheep dairy farmer in Arthur from whom we buy the wonderful sheep milk to make our sheep milk cheeses, passed away last week from cancer at the very too young age of 35. He leaves behind his kind and strong wife, Rhoda, and their young children. His wife and brother are committed to maintaining the sheep dairy through the end of this season, and hopefully beyond. Leroy was a very special person. He and his brother-in-law, Leander Stutzman, had the foresight and courage to buy some dairy sheep in 2007, approach us about buying the milk if they put in a licenced dairy and then they went ahead and did it. They are the first licensed sheep dairy in the state of Illinois!! Three years ago, when we attended a meeting in Arthur to discuss the possibilities of farmers acquiring goats and sheep for milking, no one in the Amish community there had even heard of milking sheep. It was Leroy and Leander's vision and determination that made it happen (and our "craziness" to take them on). Leroy installed a beautiful little milking parlor on his farm. His sheep are very well tended with ample lush green pastures for them to graze. We will miss him.
This week we are attending three farmers' markets: Green City Market in Chicago, Oak Park and Urbana. We are bringing an assortment of cheeses including:
Fresh Chevre--plain, herbed and cracked pepper
Angel Food (limited quantity)
Little Bloom on the Prairie (limited quantity)
Ewe Bloom
Krotovina
Moonglo
Roxanne
The menu for the farm dinner on Saturday August 22nd "Local Game" is posted on the website for those of you who will be coming. The weather promises to be fall-like--in the mid '70's and clear. Should be a fantastic evening.
Farm & Market News
Posted 8/21/2009 4:50pm by Leslie Cooperband or Wes Jarrell.
This week we have some sad news. Leroy Plank, our Amish sheep dairy farmer in Arthur from whom we buy the wonderful sheep milk to make our sheep milk cheeses, passed away last week from cancer at the very too young age of 35. He leaves behind his kind and strong wife, Rhoda, and their young children. His wife and brother are committed to maintaining the sheep dairy through the end of this season, and hopefully beyond. Leroy was a very special person. He and his brother-in-law, Leander Stutzman, had the foresight and courage to buy some dairy sheep in 2007, approach us about buying the milk if they put in a licenced dairy and then they went ahead and did it. They are the first licensed sheep dairy in the state of Illinois!! Three years ago, when we attended a meeting in Arthur to discuss the possibilities of farmers acquiring goats and sheep for milking, no one in the Amish community there had even heard of milking sheep. It was Leroy and Leander's vision and determination that made it happen (and our "craziness" to take them on). Leroy installed a beautiful little milking parlor on his farm. His sheep are very well tended with ample lush green pastures for them to graze. We will miss him.
This week we are attending three farmers' markets: Green City Market in Chicago, Oak Park and Urbana. We are bringing an assortment of cheeses including:
Fresh Chevre--plain, herbed and cracked pepper
Angel Food (limited quantity)
Little Bloom on the Prairie (limited quantity)
Ewe Bloom
Krotovina
Moonglo
Roxanne
The menu for the farm dinner on Saturday August 22nd "Local Game" is posted on the website for those of you who will be coming. The weather promises to be fall-like--in the mid '70's and clear. Should be a fantastic evening.
