Producer

why pigs?

In 2008 an organic farmer, Bob Herdegen stopped by Amaltheia and said he was wanting to get out of the pig business. He offered to bring his sows and feeder pigs so that we could start our own pork business. We were interested in having pigs so that we could utilize the whey from our cheese making process. Over the years, Bob offered his knowledge on raising pigs which was extremely helpful in the building of the pork production at Amaltheia.

Mel & Sue Brown set about their Grade A Amaltheia Dairy operation on Thanksgiving Day 2000. They started milking with 90 goats. Initially they sold their milk to a distributor making gourmet cheese for California customers but in the spring of 2002 the Browns decided to develop and operate their own cheese facility. Through careful development and stringent standards for purity and flavor, they arrived at an exceptional product that they are now marketing.

In an effort to become a completely sustainable farm, they began turning the goat’s manure into compost and using the whey from the cheese to feed their pigs. Coming full circle, they use the compost to grow delicious vegetables which are sold in farmer’s markets year round. Amaltheia strives to be a zero emissions operation and for their efforts they have been awarded with EcoStar Awards for sustainability in both 2008 and 2009.