The quest for a self-reliant lifestyle seems to be as relevant today as it was 30 years ago when I began my journey. While many different roads converge to bring one to a place of less dependency upon others, a major component of self-reliance for many is being able to source food locally or provide most of their food from the land they live on. Taking this a step further, many consider access to local milk to be the ultimate in food sourcing. Buying fresh milk from a small, local dairy works well for some, but for others, having a milk cow (or dairy goats) is a dream come true—the apex of the farming lifestyle!
But having access to a steady supply of fresh milk is only the beginning; learning to use that milk to make various dairy products can be as rewarding as it is comforting. Creating simple dairy products, such as butter, sour cream, yogurt, and chèvre, is a great way to begin, but soon, most people want to try their hand at more complex products, such as various types of aged cheese.
A great way to transition from simple to
