Products and Services
The Farm at Doe Run, located about 30 miles west of Swarthmore, is an ode to traditional cheesemaking practices and sustainable farming, inspired by the natural resources in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Critically acclaimed and crafted to perfection, The Farm at Doe Run is known for their flagship goudas, Seven Sisters and St. Malachi, but what makes them truly special are their bloomy rind and washed rind creations.
The Farm at Doe Run deserves the support of any cheese connoisseur looking to minimize the carbon footprint of their purchases while supporting an incredible local business!
History
Purchased in 2008 and founded in 2010 by Pennsylvania-native Richard Hayne—a co-founder and the president of Urban Outfitters!—The Farm at Doe Run has had early success as award winners at the state, national, and even international level.
- In 2018, St. Malachi Reserve—which is aged longer than their standard St. Malachi gouda—won best cow’s milk cheese in the world (World Cheese Awards, from the Guild of Fine Food)
- In 2023, St. Malachi won best cheese in America (American Cheese Society)
- In 2024, Seven Sisters won first place in America for the gouda category (American Cheese Society)
- Also in 2024, Hummingbird won first place in the world for soft cow’s milk category (World Cheese Awards)
Tinkering by the cheesemakers and affineurs (the people who are in charge of aging the cheeses) means there are always experimental batches available to try based on seasonality; some of these batches sell well even if they haven’t been officially named yet, which is why you’ll see “names” like Batch 37 and Batch 38 for sale at the Co-Op. Their best batches earn a personalized name and become either seasonal or year-round staples.
Sustainability
The Farm at Doe Run is dedicated to regenerating the land and supporting local sustainability projects such as those done by the Stroud Water Research Center five miles away from their property. Sales of one of their camembert-style cheeses, Mayfly, directly support tree planting on nearby Doe Run Creek, with over 1,200 trees planted so far.
Three herds—approximately 20 cows, 50 sheep, and 50 goats—live outdoors, on-site for the entire year, where they are fully grass-fed and –finished on the property’s pasture. While the cows are milked year-round, the goats and sheep are only milked seasonally, in alignment with their natural milking times, which aren’t artificially extended either with lighting or altered feed. Bedding buildings are available for each species, and when major storms are forecast the most sensitive animals will be brought indoors. While the animals are kept on pasture all winter, they occasionally receive supplemental grass hay grown on the farm.
Not only are the herds kept on-site, but milk production, processing, cheesemaking and aging, and packaging and shipping all happen on the same property as well. This fully integrated model lends itself to a hyper-local focused business, and indeed, The Farm at Doe Run prioritizes local distribution, though they also sell up and down the East Coast. This is some of the highest quality and most sustainable cheese in our region!
About the Author
Stephanie Bonner (she/her) graduated from Oberlin College with majors in Biology and English and a minor in Environmental Studies, with significant research experience in insects, particularly native bees. She completed a permaculture design course and worked for a range of companies including a nonprofit permaculture demonstration site, an organic vegetable CSA and wholesale farm as the CSA manager, and she has extensive experience as an editor and project manager in academic publishing. Stephanie is committed to sustainability, particularly regarding energy, transportation, waste, and agriculture.
