Third-generation dairy farmer Grant Kohler opened Heber Valley Artisan Cheese last spring as a way to keep money coming into the family farm.
He was struggling to keep the business afloat, so he decided selling raw milk and cheeses to carve a new niche in the market was better than moving the farm.
Budgets were tight, but he felt good about the fresh and local message he was sending.
So when a Salt Lake City news outlet wrongly reported that a man was selling cheese made from raw milk out of his trunk in Midway and that people were getting sick, Kohler was stunned. He was the only raw milk producer in the area.
“Ever since Friday night we’ve had people calling and asking, ‘Are we going to get sick from your cheese should we drink your milk,'” Kohler said.
The Salt Lake City Health Department incorrectly told reporters that a West Valley man was using raw milk he got in Heber Valley, suggesting it was Kohler’s milk that was behind the salmonella outbreak. 10 p.m. the same day, the health department was issuing an apology to Heber Valley Artisan Cheeses.
“We’re so tight trying to get this business started,” Kohler said. “The farm had its worst two years since the Great Depression. If this rumor continues we could lose the farm, a four-generation farm.”
Though news outlets were quick to report the mistake, the damage was done. On Monday, Kohler had only 15 customers, a massive drop from the average 100 customers he sees in a day.
“It shows what happens when we don’t have all the facts,” Kohler said. “It wasn’t our problem; the source had nothing to do with Heber or Midway. And this is devastating to us. We’re innocent bystanders to this story.”
Not only were no inquiries made to Heber Valley Artisan Cheese about the outbreak, the raw milk producer has never been under any investigation for any type of food- borne illness. As a raw milk producer, Kohler is required to meet more rigorous standards for his business. He is required to get his milk tested every month and must have all the dairy cows inspected twice a year.
“Things have been very good till we hit this,” Kohler said. “I’m nervous about what the future will bring.”
Kohler swears by the freshness of his product. He said that pasteurized milk can take up to a week to reach grocery stores where as his raw milk is on the shelves the same day it came from the cows. He added that he won’t keep it on the shelves for more than two days.
“Offering raw milk gives people a choice,” Kohler said. “If they like raw milk they can get it. We’re giving people options.”
For now, the farm is trying to recover. Heber Valley Artisan Cheese produces roughly 400 gallons of milk in a day and the farm sells around 100 pounds of cheese in a day, ranging from fresh mozzarella to cheddar to more gourmet varieties.
As Christmas approaches, the creamery is selling gift baskets for the holidays stuffed with the creamery’s cheeses and locally-made jams.
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