Today’s Vendor Spotlight is on the Creamery at Pleasant Lane Farms. We spoke with Dorothy Frye.

The Creamery at Pleasant Lane Farms is located in Latrobe, PA

The Frye family has been in the dairy business since 1795. We have a herd of 40 milking Holstein cows. We use their milk to make our cheese. Our cheese is made on our farm, thus making our cheese farmstead. We are a small family business. My husband, Jason, is in charge of running the business and making cheese. He helps with the farm work when he can. I package cheese and do the farmers’ markets. My brother-in-law, Todd, does a good bit of the farm work. My father-in-law, Ralph, does local deliveries and farm work. We also have 2 assistant cheesemakers and several others helping to pack cheese. Our farm is extremely busy!

Although we started the transition to making cheese several years ago, we began in earnest at the beginning of the pandemic (in April 2020). We first started selling Colby and cheese curds. We now sell an 8-week and 8-month Gouda, Colby, cow’s milk feta, secret pizza cheese, quark, medium cheddar, jalapeño habanero cheddar, buffalo ranch cheddar, roasted garlic cheddar, and our 1-year aged 1795 cheddar.

Our 1795 cheddar has been a big hit and sells out most months. This bold, sharp cheddar is crumbly, creamy, and has cheese crystals. Our first batch of 1795 cheddar was sold in June when we could only make 4 blocks at a time with our 2,000-pound vat. We acquired an additional 3,000-pound vat in February and now can do a ‘double make,’ which makes 12 blocks of cheese daily. 

During the holidays last year, we offered a cranberry cheddar and onion-and-chive cheddar, the option for customers to create a ‘build-your-own’ cheese box. We also paired up with other local businesses and farms to offer a diverse cheese box.

I am new to Western PA (I married into this family), and I enjoy going to farmers’ markets — it lets me explore the area. This is our second year at the Bellevue Farmer’s Market. We enjoy our conversations at the market and the customers who are apt to try something new each time they see me.

Check out the Pleasant Lane Farms on Facebook or Instagram.

Visit https://pleasantlanefarms.com/ to learn more. Online ordering with farm pick-up in Latrobe is available.

Contact to Listing Owner

Captcha Code