General Info:
Yellow Branch Pottery & Cheese is located on 50 acres in a mountain cove near Fontana Lake. Our aim is to live from the land in a sustainable way. Our passion is to grow as much of our food as we can. We acquired a Jersey milk cow in 1981 and within a few years and a few more cows, shifted from growing organic vegetables for the restaurant trade to becoming licensed in 1986 to produce and sell the cheese we originated and were making for ourselves. The dairy is pasture-based, and the pastures are managed using sustainable organic practices. No herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers are used. Growth hormones are not given to the cows. Yellow Branch Cheeses are made by hand in small batches following an original recipe that Karen developed and Bruce has refined. Whole unpasteurized milk is used along with microbial rennet, lactic culture, and Celtic Sea Salt. The distinctive flavor of the handcrafted cheese results from the high-quality fresh milk flavored by the nutritious pasture grasses. Yellow Branch Farmstead Cheese has a mild, buttery, full-bodied flavor and is a versatile table cheese that goes well with many foods. Award-winning Yellow Branch Pepper is made with jalapeno peppers organically grown in the vegetable garden and ripened to bright red. The creamy flavor of the Farmstead cheese is enriched with a mildly-hot, ripe pepper taste. Yellow Branch Basil is made with basil grown in the vegetable garden and the herb compliments the creamy, flavorful Farmstead variety. Yellow Branch Natural Rind is unwaxed and is a sharper, drier version of the Farmstead with cheddar overtones. Other varieties include Yellow Branch Tomato Basil, Yellow Branch Aged Curd, Yellow Branch Beer Cheese made with Heinzelmannchen Black Forest Stout, and Yellow Branch Reserve, aged for 2 years. Yellow Branch Pottery is a working pottery studio established in 1983. The studio which was built by Bruce, is located down the hill from the farm on land which is being gardened to provide food and habitat especially for butterflies and hummingbirds. Benches and a picnic table provide pleasant places to sit and enjoy the sounds and sights of the water, birds, butterflies and garden. Karen has been making pots for over 30 years. She produces distinctive functional stoneware on the potter's wheel and makes some hand-built items as well. Tableware, oven ware, planters, lamps, luminaries, sculpture, ornaments, along with the work of neighboring artisans are for sale in the gallery. Cheese is available at the pottery studio to sample and to purchase. Open by appointment December - March.