>> ROUND MOUNTAIN CREAMERY JUST OUTSIDE OF BLACK MOUNTAIN IS
CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE A PIONEER IN THE ARTISAN CHEESE
MOVEMENT IN THIS STATE.
AND THEY'RE COMMITTED TO GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THEIR DAIRY
PRODUCTS ONE DELICIOUS MORSEL AT A TIME.
>> TRAVELING UP WINDING BACK ROADS NEAR THE TOWN OF BLACK
MOUNTAIN, YOU'LL EVENTUALLY STUMBLE UPON A SMALL QUAINT FARM
OWNED BY A WOMAN WHO ADMITS THAT FARM LIVING SUITS HER JUST FINE.
>> ALWAYS INTERESTED IN FARMING AND WANTED TO LIVE OUT
IN THE COUNTRY.
NEVER WANTED TO LIVE IN THE CITY.
AND THEN WHEN I MOVED HERE, I WANTED SOMETHING THAT ATE GRASS.
SO I LOOKED AT THE LLAMAS, AND THEY WERE TALL AND
THEY SPAT AT YOU.
LOOKED AT THE COWS AND THEY WERE WAY TOO BIG.
THEY WERE KIND OF SCARY.
LOOKED AT SHEEP, AND THEY WEREN'T TOO SMART.
AND THEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT GOATS AND FELL IN LOVE.
>> I THINK THAT GOAT PEOPLE ARE JUST KIND OF IN THEIR OWN
ECCENTRIC LITTLE WORLD.
>> ECCENTRIC MAYBE, BUT AFTER YEARS OF PERSISTENCE AND HARD
WORK, LINDA SELIGMAN AND A FEW FRIENDS HAVE BUILT THE ROUND
MOUNTAIN CREAMERY, NORTH CAROLINA'S ONLY GRADE A GOAT
DAIRY AND CREAMERY.
>> GRADE A MEANS THAT YOU CAN SELL FLUID MILK.
GOATS' MILK, IT SHOULD AND OUR DOES TASTE VERY MUCH LIKE COW.
IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT WILD TASTE THAT SOMETIMES THAT YOU GET.
GOATS' MILK IS EASIER TO DIGEST.
THE FAT GLOBULES ARE SMALLER.
>> OPERATING A GOAT DAIRY MEANS GETTING UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN
TO FEED AND MILK THE GOATS, TEND TO THE NEWBORNS, PERFORM LAB
WORK, AND THEN BOTTLE THE MILK.
AFTER THAT THE DAY IS JUST GETTING STARTED.
NEXT IT'S TIME TO START MAKING THE PRODUCT THE ROUND MOUNTAIN
CREAMERY IS FAMOUS FOR -- CHEESE.
>> SO THE CHEESE STARTS ONCE YOU'RE DONE MILKING.
ASK THE MILK'S IN THE BULK TANK.
AND FROM THE BULK TANK IT GOES INTO THE PASTEURIZER.
IT IS BROUGHT UP TO AIR TEMPERATURE OF 150 DEGREES.
>> THEN IT'S COOLED.
NEXT THE CULTURE, VEGETABLE RENNET, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS
THAT MAKE CHEESE ARE ADDED.
IT'S EVENTUALLY PACKAGED AND READY TO BE SHIPPED.
IT'S TAKEN A WHILE, BUT NOW PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO NOTICE
THE UNIQUE TASTE OF NORTH CAROLINA GOAT CHEESE.
>> BEING THE EXECUTIVE CHEF HERE AT THE MONTE VISTA HOTEL, THE
ROUND MOUNTAIN CREAMERY OFFERS GREAT CHEESES TO PAIR
WITH MY CUISINE HERE.
I'M A VERY FOOD AND WINE ORIENTED PERSON.
ARTISTRY OF CHEESE IS JUST A SHOWCASE OF HOW THEY CREATE HARD
CHEESES TO SOFT CHEESES.
MOST OF THEM ARE FLAVORED GOAT CHEESE THAT THEY DO INHOUSE, SO
I DON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO TOO MUCH TO THEM.
>> THAT IS DELICIOUS.
I LIKE THAT.
THAT ONE IS SPICY, BUT IT'S GREAT.
>> THIS GOAT CHEESE IS BLUEBERRY, SOFT BLUEBERRY TASTE,
AND THEN PECANS, WHICH -- WONDERFUL COMBINATION.
>> LIKE FETA HAS THAT ZING, THAT TANG.
GOAT CHEESE HAS THAT SAME ONE, BUT JUST A
LITTLE SOFTER, MILDER.
>> THE FLAVORS OF OUR SOFT CHEESE, WE -- WE MAKE 12.
BUT IF YOU ASK ME HOW MANY FLAVORS THERE ARE OF CHEESES, AS
MANY FLAVORS AS THERE ARE CHEESE MAKERS TIMES 20.
>> EVERYONE ON THE FARM UNDERSTANDS THAT EDUCATING THE
CONSUMER ABOUT GOAT PRODUCTS IS ESSENTIAL.
THAT IS WHY GUIDED TOURS OF THE FARMSTEAD AND CREAMERY ARE
OFFERED SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
MOST PEOPLE ARE QUICK TO REALIZE HOW MUCH HARD WORK IT TAKES TO
GET THE FOOD FROM THE FARM TO YOUR TABLE.
>> AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS FUN.
AND I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW IT'S HARD WORK.
YOU HAVE TO GET UP, AND YOU HAVE TO FEED THE ANIMALS EVERY DAY,
AND IF YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GET MILK.
YOU DON'T GET MILK, YOU DON'T -- IT DOESN'T GET IN THE BOTTLE AND
IT DOESN'T GET SOLD.