THROUGHOUT May, as part of the recently launched Discover Farmhouse Cheese programme, farmhouse cheesemakers around the country will be opening their doors and gates to the Irish public. The next visit in the Bord Bia series will take place on May 13 at St Tola Goat Farm,  Maurice Mills.

The St Tola goat farm visit will feature a talk about the different breeds of goats, feed procedures, milking, the history of cheesemaking in Ireland, the history of the farm and St Tola cheese. There will then be a demonstration of cheese-making and all visitors can taste the cheeses made at St Tola goat farm.

The Discover Farmhouse Cheese programme, an EU co-funded campaign organised by Bord Bia, is a celebration of farmhouse cheese in Ireland.

Bord Bia is encouraging the public to discover the unique character of the individual cheeses and how products are produced on the farm, the transparency of the supply chain and the story of the makers behind the products.

Speaking on the Discover Farmhouse Cheese campaign, Eimear O’Donnell, consumer dairy sector manager, Bord Bia said, “We held our first farm visits as part of October Month of Farmhouse Cheese and the interest was incredible so it is great that the public have another chance to visit their local cheesemaker. We are very lucky in Ireland that our farmhouse cheeses come from individual farms, which means we have many different types of cheese, each with its own distinct flavour to choose from.”

All farm visits are free to attend but must be booked online at www.DiscoverFarmhouseCheese.ie