Congratulations…and maybe uh-oh, we thought.
The moment we discovered the owners of Bloomsdale, Missouri’s Baetje Farms and their wondrous goat cheese had been hailed on the front page of the Food section of yesterday’s New York Times, we were proud and ecstatic, but apprehensive.
Steve and Veronica Baetje (pronounced BAIT-jee) have been supplying local chefs, farmers markets, and specialty shops with their artisan goat cheese for the last eight years. Their list of national and international awards (over 60 to date) is as long as an old goat’s beard. Yes, Baetje Farms cheese is that good. And now, thanks to the brilliant Times article, the secret’s out.
So when we called the farm this morning to congratulate the Baetjes on their achievement, we were all but certain they'd be frantically taking orders and we’d reach only an answering machine. But Veronica Baetje picked up. We extended an enthusiastic, verbal high-five, but admitted we were fearful that local supplies of their cheeses—Amoreux, Bloomsdale, Coeur de la Crème, and Fleur de la Vallee—may dwindle or even disappear. (Big-city press doesn’t create a buying frenzy like say, Oprah’s Favorite Things did in its day, but it certainly will spur demand.)
But Baetje, in a voice unaffected by the sudden onrush of notoriety, had this to say: “Yes, the phone’s been ringing and yes, it’s exciting for us, exciting for our team. We were inspired cheesemakers before…but this [article] will provide a different level of inspiration.”
And when asked if local supplies of her precious goat cheese may cease to exist, the pious Mennonite said not to worry: “I’ll to refer to Proverbs 27,” she said. “It's one of our mottos, the one we put on our labels: ‘And thou shalt have goats' milk enough...’”
A flavored Coeur de la Creme...and the motto.
Follow George on Twitter @stlmag_dining or send him an email at gmahe@stlmag.com. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
