Achadinha Cheese Company

FARMLAND: 230 Acres in Petaluma, about 40 miles from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market

PEOPLE: Jim and Donna Pacheco tend the goats and make the cheese with help from their 4 children: William, Daniel, Elizabeth, and David

FARM HISTORY/PHILOSOPHY: Jim Pacheco is a third generation dairyman and cheesemaker. The Pachecos raise over 1200 goats who roam freely. Depending on the season, the animals eat varying amounts of pasture supplemented with feed hay and brewers grain purchased from local breweries. The goats are only administered antibiotics when they are ill, in which case their milk is discarded for a period.

Most of the milk that comes from the Pacheco's goats is sold to other goat milk companies; the rest is used to produce Achadinha Cheese Company cheeses. The Pacheco Family strongly believes that it is important for people to know where their food comes from.

CHEESE AND SAUSAGE MAKING PRACTICES: All the goats are milked by machine. In keeping with their award winning formula, goat milk is first pasteurized then separated into curds and whey with vegetarian rennet. The curds are collected and formed into balls by hand (Capricious), or for their Broncha cheese, formed using a mold. The feta, which Donna makes by hand, is cured in a sea salt brine. To insure quality the whole process is done on site and by family members.

For their sausage, Jim and Donna only use older goats that have passed their milking age. The summer sausage is made by Taylor Sausage, in Oregon, a USDA approved facility.

WASTE: Whey is fed to baby goats to increase their butterfat. The manure from the goats is used in their fields and personal gardens. Their goats produce so much manure that Jim and Donna are going to start composting for future sales. Any cheese that does not meet their standards is fed their pigs.

WATER USE: An on-site spring is used for both drinking water for goats and irrigation water for fields.

CERTIFICATIONS: None

(707) 763-1025
pachecogoats@aol.com
www.achadinha.com

LISTEN & LEARN: CUESA volunteer Shauna Sadowski interviews Donna Pacheco on September 8, 2007, as part of our Market to Table programs. Download (mp3) >

Capricious - Washed curd, aged semi-hard goat cheese, hand rolled in the old California tradition.

Broncha - Inspired by a Portuguese family recipe and infused with the subtle flavors of the brewers grains.

Feta - Soaked in a sea salt brine and delivered to market within four weeks.