Jim King is a fourth-generation dairy farmer who purchased his own herd of cows nearly 30 years ago.
His wife’s family weren’t farmers, but her parents made sure she and her five siblings understood the process that got food to the table.
“Not because we needed to, but because they wanted us to be able to take care of ourselves and others, if need be. We ground our own wheat berries into flour, raised rabbits and chickens, sold eggs, milked goats, made butter, slaughtered chickens and froze and canned the harvest from our garden,” Angel King said.
Even before the Kings decided to venture into cheese production on a large scale, Angel was experimenting with it in her own kitchen.
“I love to cook and cheese making was just another challenge. And I had ready access to all the milk that I wanted,” Angel King said.
She researched cheese making at the library, took a class and then attended a conference of the American Cheese Society, where she met lots of cheese makers. With a basic knowledge, Angel developed her own style producing some signature cheeses.
Blue Jacket Dairy’s biggest sellers are Arrowhead Chevre, Lemon Quark and Gretna Grilling. The Gretna, named after a hamlet in Harrison Twp. that once was a train stop, is a halloumi-style cheese. The dairy encourages people to visit them at Centerville’s farmers market on Thursdays to try a sample. The cheese is placed directly on a hot griddle, browned and served with a toothpick. It’s like eating a grilled cheese sandwich ... without the bread.
Angel King encourages consumers to try as many cheeses as they want.
Blue Jacket Dairy cheese is served at the Winds Cafe & Bakery in Yellow Springs and sold at Second Street Market in downtown Dayton. It is also available at farmer’s markets in Bellefontaine, Yellow Springs, Urbana, Tipp City, Westerville, Piqua, Sugarcreek Twp., and Centerville.
Centerville’s market is located behind Centerville Cross Point Vineyard Church, 38 N. Main St.
The hours are 1 to 6 p.m. Thursdays through October.
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