valley shepherd LLC

Valley Shepherd Creamery is an artisanal dairy farm and creamery located on 120 rolling acres in Long Valley, Morris County, New Jersey, within an hour of New York City. The company specializes in producing over fifty handcrafted artisan dairy products from three types of milk: sheep, goat, and Jersey cow milk. Their signature products include award-winning aged cheeses such as Oldwick Shepherd (their flagship sheep milk cheese), Crema De Blue, Valley Thunder (cloth-bound cheddar), Somerset (18-month aged Alpine cheese), and Shepherd Basket (Manchego-style cheese). The creamery operates a unique underground aging cave built 26 feet under the mountain, where thousands of cheese wheels rest on thick ash wood slabs for periods ranging from two to eighteen months. Their cave staff, known as Affineurs, practice the traditional art of 'Affinage' - proper cheese aging that requires precise temperature and humidity control. Valley Shepherd combines years of artisan cheesemaking expertise with modern equipment from around the world and age-old European dairy farming practices. The farm offers educational farm tours, lamb visits during spring season, and cave tours where visitors can experience daily life on a working sheep dairy. Their product line includes both raw and pasteurized milk cheeses, with varieties featuring unique ingredients like truffles (Tartufo Shepherd), saffron (Safronella), nettles (Nettlesome), and various herbs and spices. The company serves the specialty food industry, gourmet retailers, restaurants, and direct-to-consumer markets through their on-site retail operation and online store. Valley Shepherd represents a commitment to traditional European cheesemaking methods while maintaining modern food safety standards and sustainable farming practices.