Award-winning Ferndale cheesemaker pays homage to Italian origins

Ferndale Farmstead may be known for its Italian-style cheeses, but its flavors are pure Whatcom County. The third-generation, single-source creamery specializes in artisan cheese made using traditional European methods, but every element of the process, from the grass the cows eat to the milk they produce, comes from Ferndale.

We really love showcasing that taste of place through our seed-to-cheese philosophy, said Daniel Wavrin, Ferndale Farmstead co-founder and cheesemaker. And we're also very proud to do it in a way that's regenerative for the planet.

The farm's smoked provolone recently won first place in its category at the prestigious World Championship Cheese Competition. It was selected from more than 3,300 other categories from around the world, and 25 countries and 32 U.S. states were represented in the competition as a whole.

But provolone isn't the only Ferndale Farmstead cheese to enjoy: from melty mozzarella to smoked scamorza and rich aged fontina, everything is made with equipment and cultures imported from Italy. This fusion of old-world techniques and local, farm-fresh ingredients results in exceptional cheeses and flavors that cannot be replicated outside of Whatcom County.

From the fields to the dairy farm

The Wavrins family entered the dairy industry in 1990 and established Ferndale Farmstead in 2011. He said the farm is still a 100 percent family operation, employing 10 cheesemakers, including himself and his wife, Nidia Hernandez . The couple take their management role seriously, using a range of sustainable farming practices in their daily operations.

Wavrin was inspired to learn cheese making after witnessing his father and uncle's passion for agriculture. After years of study and apprenticeship, he started making cheese in 2015.

Ferndale cows produce very rich milk that contains more fat and protein than many other parts of the United States, so naturally our cheeses shine, he said. We literally turn milk into cheese within minutes of being harvested from the cow, ensuring the flavor quality is pure all year round.

These cows are the stars of the show in what Wavrin calls Ferndale Farmsteads' seed-to-cheese philosophy. The closed-loop process begins with 900 acres of grass grown within a 2.5-mile radius of the farm. This grass is used to feed the cows whose milk is transformed into cheese just 50 meters from the dairy farm. Cow manure is used to fertilize the grass fields and the cycle begins again.

Early in Wavrins' cheesemaking apprenticeship, the unique farm's methodology caught the attention of Raffaele Mascolo, an Italian cheesemaker who would become his mentor. Mascolo is from Naples, the birthplace of Neapolitan pizza and mozzarella cheese. Under his leadership, Wavrin decided to go all-in on Italian cheeses, but rather than go to Italy to learn the business, Wavrin said Italy came to Ferndale to help him open up shop.

With a team of Italian cheesemakers, Mascolo imported equipment and starter cultures directly from his home country and taught Wavrin the ropes. This assistance allowed Ferndale Farmstead to use traditional cheesemaking methods not always found in the United States; for example, the flavor of their mozzarella comes from starter cultures, not vinegar.

Ferndale Farmstead now produces an impressive range of heritage Italian cheeses. Some of them, like fior di latte (fresh mozzarella) and provolone, are familiar to American palates. Others, like scamorza and caciotta, are less common. Ferndale Farmstead also specializes in smoked cheeses, including smoked scamorza and their award-winning smoked provolone.

We are very proud to make these using our Washington milk from the Washington dairy farm that we own and offering a different version of these cheeses for the West Coast, Wavrin said. “But in general we always respect the Italian origin.

The cheese making process

Wavrin said cheese has just four ingredients: rennet, sourdough starter, salt and, of course, milk. Creating it is a simple process, but it is also an art, he continued.

Ferndale Farmstead cheesemakers begin this process by pasteurizing the milk. Then they add the imported Italian cultures, which vary in flavor depending on the type of cheese being made. Rennet is then added as a coagulant, which Wavrin says gives you the curds you've heard about in some nursery rhymes.

Salt is the final ingredient; Once incorporated, the cheese is ready to be shaped. Cheesemakers stretch it in hot water until it becomes a malleable liquid-solid consistency that molds easily.

Ferndale Farmstead uses imported Italian drums to shape mozzarella logs of various sizes, ranging from 8 ounces to 2 pounds. The aged wheels are formed into a cylindrical container called a hoop. The Scamorza is suspended so that air can completely envelop it, allowing the cheese to dry more evenly.

[Scamorza] is, I would say, one of the most interesting cheeses because it's actually hanging on a rope, Wavrin said. And when you buy it in a store, you actually get a piece of Italy that you can take home in the form of this rope.

The aging process varies from cheese to cheese: some varieties, including scamorza, are young cheeses and only require a few days to age. Others need to develop their flavor over weeks or even months. This process is known as affinage, derived from a French term meaning to refine. As the cheese ages, Wavrin said his team will turn it, scrub it and take care of it daily to make sure it stays beautiful throughout the process.

When cheese dehydrates, it develops a natural yellow rind and changes from white to yellow. Cheeses like Parmesan have a rind that can be up to half an inch thick, while the rind of scamorzas is paper-thin, making for a pleasant textural experience.

The merits of regional cheese

Nearly a decade after production, Ferndale Farmsteads cheeses have earned a reputation among consumers and industry professionals. Wavrin said that during their first year of production, he entered one of Mascolo's recipes for caciotta-style cheese into a Washington State Cheesemakers Association event. When the cheese won the People's Choice Award, Wavrin knew he was on to something good.

Every year we participate in competitions, whether it's the Good Food Awards or the American Cheese Society Competition, [and] we won awards almost every year, Wavrin said. We feel very lucky to be recognized at these competitions. But our most prestigious award would certainly be, recently, the smoked provolone which won first place worldwide in the Italian cheese category.

Ferndale Farmstead also produces select cheeses under the brand Daniel's Craftsman and Hernández's project, Familia del Norte, the latter of which specializes in Latin-style cheeses and won an award for its panela cheese at the World Championship Cheese Contest.

Some might be inclined to save the award-winning cheeses for special occasions, but Wavrin said his products shouldn't be limited to wine tastings and charcuterie boards. He's a fan of artisan cheese for breakfast, lunch or dinner, whether it's mozzarella in scrambled eggs, smoked provolone on a charcuterie sandwich or scamorza on a Neapolitan pizza. (Fun fact: Wavrin recently represented Ferndale Farmstead at the Las Vegas International Pizza Expo.)

We truly believe that cheese is an integral part of the diet, Wavrin said. But getting it to people and helping them understand how good it is, not only for their diet but also for their enjoyment, I would say that's the hardest part and also the most fun part.

As for Wavrins’ personal favorite? He is a fan of Parmigiano Reggiano, aka the king of cheeses. But as much as he loves Italian cheeses, Wavrin also thinks American cheeses are underrated, especially when they're local.

Cheese from your region, whether it's Washington state, the Pacific Northwest or the West Coast, these will be the cheeses that best reflect the flavors of your home, he said .

More to the point, Wavrin continues: “The fact that we control everything in the process should really allow people to get a taste of Ferndale.

Ferndale Farmstead cheeses can be purchased at retailers including Community Food Co-op, Haggen, Safeway, Whole Foods and Fred Meyer. To learn more or schedule a farm tour, visit ferndalefarmstead.com.

Cocoa Laney is CDN's lifestyle editor; contact her at [email protected]; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.