Last Updated on November 18, 2022
Did you know that Winter Park is home to a local farm, creamery, and cheese producer? Winter Park Dairy was established in 2008 by David Green and his wife, Dawn Taylor-Green, and is the first of its kind in the state of Florida! In fact, they are the very first dairy farm licensed by the State of Florida and the USDA to produce 100% natural raw milk artisan cheese.
History of the Farm
In Winter Haven near spring-fed Lake Florence, the Green family has had their family farm for four generations! The family initially was part of the citrus boom of Florida, and their groves grew oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit for over a century! Unfortunately, this ended with the back-to-back freezes that Florida experienced in 1983 and 1985, and the family trees were ruined.
David and Dawn had to go back to the drawing board and eventually started Winter Park Farm in 2001 to breed and raise cattle. However, they knew that they didn’t want to become a farm that slaughtered their cows for beef. They had a great love and respect for these great animals and decided to become dairy farmers.
According to the Green family, the life of a Dairy Cow is one of great luxury for a cow! The farmers are essentially their servants and attend to the cow’s every need every single day. They are fed all-natural grains, hay, and pure water, and the cows in return produce five gallons of fresh butterfat-rich milk every single day. This, coupled with life in the Florida sunshine, grazing on the lakefront gas every day, Winter Park Dairy refers to their Dairy Cow’s lives as an eternal spa visit.
The Cheesemaking Process
Winter Park Dairy’s cheesemaking process is handmade, they use very few machines to create their iconic products. Since the cheese is made from raw milk, pasteurizers are not used to heat up the milk as in typical cheeses.
Instead, the cheese is made in a traditional hot water heated vat which was imported from Holland. From there, the temperature is increased up to 90 degrees. After this, the milk is gently agitated by hand where it finally becomes cheese.
Because it is handmade, you will see some variations in the color, flavor, and texture of the cheese from one wheel to another. This has no effect on the quality of the cheese, but only emphasizes how unique their products are!
Winter Park Dairy’s Signature Cheeses
- “Bleu Sunshine” – This is the signature and most popular of the Winter Park Dairy cheeses. This blue rind cheese is handcrafted and fully aged within only 60 days. The taste of this cheese can be described as mild and nutty with a creamy texture.
- “Florida Tomme” – This cheese is a pressed alpine-style cheese that has a strong parmesan flavor. The wheel has a basket weave pattern and pairs well with many Italian dishes.
- “Black & Bleu” – This cheese is America’s very first cracked peppercorn-infused blue vein cheese, created in 2011! The recipe was passed down from a retired American cheesemaker who had been in the business for 17 years and crafted this cheese at an organic dairy farm in India. This cheese pairs well with prime beef entrees.
- “Florida Cheddar” – This cheese is truly an American classic that can be sliced, grated, or eaten with the rind on. The flavor has nutty overtones, and the wheel also features a basket weave pattern.
Where to Find Winter Park Dairy Cheese
Unfortunately, Winter Park Dairy doesn’t offer tours of their farm. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find their delicious cheeses throughout the Central Florida area!
You can buy Winter Park Dairy cheeses at the Winter Park Farmers Market on Saturdays from 7 am to 1 pm. (Check out our favorite Farmers Markets throughout the state of Florida Farmer’s Market!).
Here’s a list of restaurants that serve Winter Park Dairy cheese in their dishes:
- Sunny Morning Foods – Orlando, Fort Lauderdale
- SYSCO – Miami
- Cheney Brothers Inc. – Florida
- Culinary Classics – Orlando
- The Au Hotel – Palm Beach
- Amway Center Orlando – Sky Boxes & Jernigan’s Restaurant
- NASCAR – Daytona Beach
- Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Resort
- Peabody Hotel – Orange County Convention Center
- Country Club of Orlando
- Great Western Meats – Throughout Florida
- Halperns/Gary’s Seafood Specialties – Orlando
- Loews Don Cesar Resort – St. Petersburg Beach
- Loews Royal Pacific Hotel – Universal Studios Orlando
- Loews Portofino Bay Hotel – Universal Studios Orlando
- Ravenous Pig Gastropub – Winter Park
- Big Wheel Provisions Catering – Orlando
- Waldorf Astoria – Orlando
- Hilton Hotels – Bonnet Creek Resort
- J.W. Marriott Grand Lakes – Orlando
- Hyatt Regency – Orlando International Airport
- Gaylord Palms Resort “Old Hickory Steakhouse”
- Hilton Hotels – Orange County Convention Center
- Hilton Hotels – Walt Disney World
- Cuisiniers Catering – Winter Park
- Ritz Carlton Hotels – Florida
- Homegrown Local Food Cooperative – Orlando
- SideBerns Restaurant – Tampa
- Merritt’s Table – Meritt Island
- The Meathouse Neighborhood Butcher – Winter Park
- Cafe de France – Winter Park
- Dally in the Alley American Bistro – Deland