Dairy Sheep Symposium - the Department of Animal Sciences ...

5. Cheese is delivered in person, weekly, within the Twin Cities metro area. Orders from
outside the metro area are served by two-day postal delivery, in custom made, insulated
boxes with ice packs to ensure that the product remains fresh.
6. Pricing is one of the elements that makes Shepherd’s Way Farms cheeses so appealing, both
to the retailer and to the customer. In an effort to keep the cheeses accessible to a wide range
of consumers, the Friesago and Queso Fresco are priced in the mid-level range which places
Shepherd’s Way Farms in an advantageous competitive position against more expensive
cheeses.
Factor and Demand Conditions
1. Specialized factors for the success of Shepherd’s Way Farms include both labor and infrastructure.
Cheesemakers with experience producing sheep milk dairy products are crucial
for developing the correct product and correct production methods. There are very few
individuals with this necessary experience in North America. Our response was to identify
individuals with specific experience and to invite them to work and learn with us.
As for infrastructure, the proper cheese manufacturing, aging and distribution facilities are
important to ensure the quality of our product and our success in bringing it to the marketplace.
2. The advantage that sheep milk offers which drives innovation is twofold. One is the composition
of the milk and how this affects the types of cheeses and dairy products that would
most likely result in a superior product than if other types of milk are used. For example,
our Queso Fresco de Oveja is a superior product to one made out of cow’s milk because it is
firmer, less bitter and has a longer shelf life. Yogurt and butter are two other examples of
products that would be superior due to the components of the milk.
The second driving advantage is the uniqueness of sheep milk. Using the above example,
Queso Fresco de Oveja is unique in North America, no other cheesemaker or company
produces a similar product. This uniqueness drives innovation without the pressures of
competition. Each product will assume a preferred position in the marketplace. The emphasis
then becomes choosing those products most marketable.
Disadvantages of infrastructure drive innovation of a different kind. First of all, the small
production capacity required of farmstead cheese manufacturing dictates that maximum use
be made of the assets. This is accomplished by ensuring continuous use through the use of
frozen milk to guarantee that the highs and lows of the production cycle are mitigated. At
the same time, the need to maximize the efficiency and output determine the innovation of
products which realize these goals.
3. Our customers are consumers who are cheese lovers, consumers who are looking for dairy
alternatives to cow milk products, and individuals who actively support farm based products.
4. The primary suppliers for both equipment and commodities are based in Wisconsin. The
main supplier of sheep milk is the Wisconsin Dairy Sheep Cooperative. Equipment and
supplies come primarily from cheese product supply companies based in the Madison to
Milwaukee area.