Almost everyone loves cheese…right? While working on the “Nashville Loves Food” project I had the opportunity to visit Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese located about 85 miles from Nashville in Kentucky and owned by the Mattingly family.

My assistant, Erik Lara and I arrived around 5:30 AM hoping to catch some great sunrise pictures of the farm but the weather didn’t cooperate. The guys had already rounded up some cows (above photo) and were running them through the milking area (below photo). It was my first time seeing cows being milked with machines and I found it very interesting to watch the whole process. I couldn’t believe how big these dairy cows were!

From there we moved inside after an elaborate shoe cleaning and hair net preparation. The fresh milk was being pumped into a large stainless tub (still warm) and the process began. Making cheese is a very scientific process, I did not understand a lot of what I was being told but I really enjoyed the experience! Over the course of a few hours we watched, we learned and best of all…we tasted.

With the belief that cheese is only as good as the milk Kenny Senior started by crossbreeding specific pure bred cows (American Holstein, Brown Swiss, Australian Red and Jersey) and by doing so he has been able to keep the flavor of the milk consistent. They are pastured, GMO free, fed a supplemental grain diet and reside on the family owned 200-acre farm. Kenny studied Old World handmade cheese making techniques and has developed his own signature flavors sold locally and abroad. They have a wide variety of cheese available including Cheddar, Colby, Jack, Asiago, Swiss, Havarti, Blue and other special, signature flavors created by Kenny himself. They also allow tours so if you want to see it first hand check out their website!

With Labor Day weekend ahead, what cookout wouldn’t be that much better with some rich, tasty cheese…the Asiago is one of my favorites! I can taste that chargrilled cheeseburger now!

-Thank you Melissa Corbin for capturing the behind the scenes photos!