Everything is better with cheese, especially if it’s Idaho-made cheese! Ballard Farm & Dairy is a family-owned operated that continually produces some of the Gem State’s absolute best cheese. You might’ve even seen it in your local grocery store or farmers market. For a unique day activity, you can drive out to their farm and receive a tour of the cheesemaking process. It definitely makes for a memorable outing and, of course, it involves sampling some mighty fine cheese. Check it out:
If you're a cheese aficionado, there's no better place for a day trip than Ballard Farm & Dairy in Gooding, Idaho. Not only does this family-owned farm produce amazing cheese, but they'll even show you how they do it!
Ballard Farm started as a humble dairy farm in 1995 and started making cheese in 2004. Although novices at cheesemaking at first, the Ballard Family quickly made their presence known with award-winning cheeses. Today, the farm operates year-round with about 100-140 cows.
Known for their cheese curds and full line of farmstead cheeses, you can find the Ballard Family's cheeses in grocery stores around the state and the Boise Farmers Market. You may have tried some of their most popular products like the Idaho Grilling Cheese (Halloumi), Truffle Cheddar, Holy Cow Swiss, or Jersey Gem.
If you love the Ballard Cheese, chances are you'll love seeing how it's made. You can do just that when you visit the farm and experience a farm tour. The cost is just $2.50 per person for an hour-long tour.
The interactive farm tour makes for a wonderful group outing. During the experience, you'll even get to meet the cows that make Ballard's heavenly cheeses possible! Unlike large cheese producers, the milk is taken directly from the cows to the vats in order to ensure the best quality.
After the tour, be sure to stock up on all of your favorite cheeses. Those cheese curds are just too good to resist! And remember, you can always order Ballard Cheese directly from the website and have it shipped to you.
At Ballard Farm, they say "the only thing better than cheese is MORE CHEESE" and we believe it! For a fun (and tasty) outing, make the drive to this family-owned farm and check out the cheesemaking process from start to finish.
