Montchevre Cheese Maker Jean Rossard
Got goat’s milk? Montchevre does. From 315 small family farms located in Southeastern Minnesota, Northeastern Iowa, and Southwestern Wisconsin, Montchevre collects fresh goat’s milk to deliver to their plant in Belmont, WI. According to Arnaud Solandt, a partner of Montchevre Betin Inc., the concentration of farms is a key factor in producing the freshest goat cheese and limits the cost of transportation in keeping with minimizing their product’s carbon footprint. Much of the rest of their success is the result of the vast experience of cheese maker and fellow partner, Jean Rossard.
Jean Rossard has been making cheese for 21 years. Originally from Deux-Sevre, a wine and goat milk region not far from Cognac in the southwest of France, Jean learned much from his family; his father is a goat cheese maker, his grandparents also made goat cheese by hand, and his great-grandfather was also a part of the business as a milk man. Jean’s dedication to the craft led him to complete coursework and graduate from the most prestigious cheese school in France. He went on to work for various renowned French cheese makers including making blue cheese in the Auvergne region as well as goat’s milk cheese in Bougon.
In 1989, Jean brought his cheese making skills to Wisconsin and settled into a small 6,000 sq. ft. factory in Belmont. Originally, interest in and sales for Montchevre products was seen primarily in Chicago and on the coasts. Now in 2010, Montchevre’s operation takes place in a space of 90,000 sq. ft and is sold in all 50 states. Though the size of the factory does not automatically equate to a greater quality product, Montchevre’s goals are closely following the green initiative. Installation of an anaerobic digester is scheduled for completion in early July. This machine not only processes organic material preventing it from going to landfill or incinerator, it also functions as a renewable energy source. The expectation is that the factory will supply 5 times more electricity back into the grid than it uses.
With full respect for traditional cheese making techniques, there has not been need for drastic changes to Montchevre’s offerings; fresh goat logs, crottins, goat brie, Goat cheddar, Chevre in Blue were complimented by soft ripened gems such as Chevriotte, Cabrie, Cabecou, and Ste Maure. In late 2007, Montchevre introduced an incredible domestic version of the classic French Bucheron. Now in 2010, Montchevre has taken another step forward by introducing the Coeur de Chevre, a USDA certified organic line of lactic soft-ripened goat cheese that captures the luscious texture of traditional fresh chevre and the distinctive flavor of pure organic goat’s milk from selected Amish dairies (8 in SE MN, 10 in SW WI) and. The 6 oz Chevre Fleurie promises to be a market favorite with a bloomy ivory rind that brings out a wonderful earthy flavor to balance the natural acidity of goat milk.
