Sweet Grass Dairy, an award-winning cheesemaker and one of the largest Southern artisan cheese brands, hosted a socially distanced ribbon cutting ceremony with The Thomas County Chamber of Commerce, Thomasville National Bank, CCH Construction, and architect Leon Lynn from Jinright, Ryan & Lynn. The ceremony took place at Sweet Grass Dairy’s new production facility located at 126 Roseway Drive in Thomasville, Georgia.
The purpose of this project was to increase production and consistency within all of their products to reach a broader market. The new facility is 6,500 square feet larger than their current facility and can accommodate 86,000 pounds of milk in the new silo. Sweet Grass Dairy broke ground on this project on August 15, 2019, but some aspects of the project were delayed due to the pandemic and travel restrictions. Many pieces of equipment came from Germany and France and the travel ban delayed the engineers from those respective countries from being able to assemble the equipment. This project is finishing at a great time as Sweet Grass Dairy just rebranded to reach a broader audience across the United States.
Co-Founder and Head Cheesemaker, Jeremy Little, states that, “One of the things I am most excited about is the new ALPMA system for our soft ripened cheeses. The flexibility of this process gives us the opportunity to not only make more high quality and consistent Green Hill but also expand our line to include more fresh and soft ripened cheeses. The technology is very specifically controlled which will be easier for us to manage while still being able to show off the unique flavors of our milk.”
The new production facility will allow Sweet Grass Dairy to stay true to their mission of cultivating an inspired American food culture. The increased production allows them to care for their community, the animals who give them the raw materials to make cheese, and help feed hungry children with the help of Second Harvest and No Kid Hungry. As they grow, they plan on staying true to their tight-knit community in Thomasville.
In order to meet the current demand while taking the time to practice with the new equipment, Sweet Grass Dairy is currently producing cheese in both cheese production facilities. When the team is confident that the cheeses produced in the new facility meet quality standards, all of the cheese production will be moved to the new plant to ensure consistency. All customers will be notified a minimum of two weeks prior to shipping from the new facility.
About Sweet Grass Dairy
Sweet Grass Dairy, located in Thomasville, Georgia, was founded in 2000 by Al and Desiree Wehner.
Sweet Grass Dairy is now a second-generation family business owned and operated by Jessica and Jeremy Little. The creamery produces handcrafted cow’s milk cheeses, which have won over 30 awards, including for its popular Green Hill cheese, which is a ten-time award winner at the American Cheese Society Conference, and its best-selling Thomasville Tomme.
