If you think the best cheese comes from the Swiss Alps, the Esh family in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, might change your mind. Their farm, Goot Essa, is a place that takes cheese very seriously. It is where the Amish people stay true to their faith, being a traditionalist Christian group known for plain dressing, simple living, and an obstinate reluctance to adopt modern ways.
Here, John and his wife, Anna Mary, run an artisanal cheese farm using time-honoured Amish methods: no modern machinery and, of course, no electricity. Cows, goats and sheep graze peacefully on the green fields. The landscape feels untouched by the passage of time. You might feel tempted to capture the Amish life, but photographing it is strictly prohibited.
Esh believes good cheese starts with healthy animals. “A good cow, or sheep gives more than milk,” he says. “It grazes the pastures, enriches the soil and helps the land flourish.”
Today, the family produces 19 varieties of European-style cave-aged cheese. John leads visitors down a 65-foot limestone cave where nearly 10,000 pounds of cheese quietly mature.
Inside, the eyes take a moment to adjust to the darkness. The temperature drops, and the smell hits you before anything else. Strong and fungal, it is the scent of cheese in various stages of transformation. ‘An acquired smell’, laughs John. Rows of cheese-wheels (traditional, cylindrical-shaped cheese) are stacked on wooden shelves, as the host walks through the dark halls holding a propane lantern, looking like he is in search of a mystery in his own home. The farm collection includes soft cheeses like Emanuel Vom Tal, semi-soft favourites such as Old German Weissa, and the farm’s oldest treasure, the Mountain Valley Sharp Cheddar. Each one has distinct notes for flavour and pairing. The Der Edel Bleu Kase, their take on a Stilton-style blue cheese, is slightly sweet, with blue moulds carefully injected by hand. The highlight is the 36-month Mountain Valley Sharp Cheddar. Rich, creamy and deeply flavourful, it melts slowly on the tongue, leaving behind a subtle sweetness.
In a world floating away from tradition in many things, Goot Essa offers something refreshingly different. Every wheel of cheese tells a story shaped by time, care and craftsmanship.