FAQ

Yes, our farm has been certified organic since 2012. Our farm, beef, and our dairy products are all certified organic by EcoCert Canada. You can read more about what certified organic means here (https://canada-organic.ca/en/what-we-do/organic-101/what-organic)

Grass fed milk and beef means that our cows are fed a grass-dominant diet consisting of mostly fresh pasture grasses (during the grazing season), hay, silage (fermented stored grasses), as well as a small percentage of ground dried peas and barley to ensure that the cows are receiving enough energy and protein to sustain quality milk production and promote sufficient beef marbling.

Grass fed milk has a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids than conventional milk. These have substantial health benefits for your brain and heart, contain anti-inflammatory properties, and help prevent chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. Grass fed milk also contains more antioxidants like vitamins A and E, K2, and beta-carotene; among other things, these help protect your cells, and support your vision, bones, immune system, and reproductive health.

Grass fed beef (vs grain finished beef) usually has a lower total fat content, as well more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, more omega-6 fatty acid called linolenic acid, and more antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E.

Farmer Johannes puts on his cheesemaking hair net and white cheesemaker’s clothing 1 or 2 days per week to make cheese. He was trained by the previous owner of our cheesemaking equipment (a French-born cheesemaker) but he also has a long lineage of dairy farming and cheesemaking history in his family background. Both this training and Johannes’ innate cheesemaker’s touch have come together in an incredible way, as evidenced by the repeated awards that our cheeses have won at the Canadian cheese competition at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.

Recently, we also hired an additional cheesemaker. Jasmine came to us with a stunning resume of cheesemaking experience and we’ve been so thankful to have her extra hands and expertise on deck to help us keep up with the constantly-growing demand for our cheese.

NO! There are no additives in our milk (such as vitamins, sugar, thickeners, etc), and nothing is taken out either. Just pure, delicious milk.

The milk is run through a filter to catch any impurities, and we also heat the milk (pasteurize) to meet the government standards for fluid milk. This is done very gently  at a low temperature and in small batches to maintain the milk’s fresh wholesome goodness.  

We have been selectively breeding our herd to A2A2 bulls for more than 12 years. While we have not as of yet done genetic testing to verify our estimates, (testing is incredibly expensive) we believe our herd is likely 95% or higher A2A2. This means that the milk our cows produce will be very high in the A2 milk protein. The A2 type of protein has been linked to easier digestibility for some people with dairy intolerances when compared with the A1 protein that is more prevalent in milk from commercial dairy herds. We have many customers who have no issues drinking our milk after years of avoiding dairy due to intolerances. A2 milk still contains lactose and milk protein, so it is not appropriate for people with lactose intolerance, galactosemia, or a milk allergy. If you have a dairy intolerance (but not an allergy to lactose or milk protein), we recommend trying a small amount of our milk and monitoring for signs of intolerance before consuming on a regular basis.

The butterfat or cream that our cows produce varies with the seasons and is very much a function of both weather and diet. During the winter when the weather is colder and the cows are inside the barns and eating a diet that has more roughage (hay and grass silage), the butterfat content in their milk tends to be higher, sometimes as high as 4.7% butterfat. Compare that to the typical highest butterfat found in the grocery store at 3.25% butterfat – wow, so decadent! During the spring, summer, and fall when the cows’ diet is made up of more fresh grasses, the butterfat decreases to around 4.4%. Still creamy, still very delicious. You might also notice that our cows’ milk has a more golden hue while they are out on pasture; this is due to the beta carotene in the grass being excreted in the milk.

No, not at this time. We leave all that delicious butterfat in the milk for making our creamy cheeses. However, the milk you buy from our dispenser is also not skimmed neither is it homogenized, and when left in the fridge a beautiful layer of golden cream will rise to the top of the milk. This can be skimmed off by hand for excellent table cream.

In accordance with Canadian law, we cannot sell raw milk. However, our cows’ milk is gently  small-batch pasteurized at the lowest allowable temperature to maintain its wholesome goodness.

Our cheeses are also all made from our own pasteurized milk, and as such are safe to consume during pregnancy. This includes our Camembert and Feta (cheeses that sometimes are available made from raw milk in other countries and that most medical professionals advise against consuming during pregnancy).

Aged cheeses like gruyere and raclette have a lower lactose content than fresh cheeses like feta and fromage blanc. This is because over time, lactose converts itself into lactic acid. Our La Belle Vallee gruyere style cheese is aged for over one year and has very little, if any, lactose content.

We can ship our cheeses to individuals within Canada during the fall, winter, and spring. If ordering from our website here (insert hyperlink to this web address:  https://www.creeksidecreamery.ca/store-1) be sure to select “please contact me for shipping information” at checkout.

We sell our milk, beef, and cheese at our on farm store at 3990 Chaplin Rd, Agassiz. You can also find us at various farmers markets year round. Sign up for our email newsletter here or follow us on social media to find our upcoming market dates. Our milk and beef can only be purchased at the farm store or at our farmers markets.

Alternatively, you can find a list of retailers throughout British Columbia that carry our cheese here. Our cheese can also be ordered for home shipping through our website (winter, spring, and fall only) here.

If you are buying for a restaurant or store, you can email us about purchasing through one of our excellent distributors or to arrange bulk order pick up at the farm. For all sales inquires please email julaine@creeksidecreamery.ca for more information.

Because we do not a have bottling line for pre-bottled milk, our milk is only available for purchase at our farm store milk dispenser and at the farmer’s markets we attend, not at any other retailers. Our milk dispenser is open during cheese shop hours (Thursday – Saturday from 9:30 until 5:00) and you can find our farmers market schedule by signing up for our email newsletter and/or following us on social media.

We sell a variety of individual cuts of beef (eg steaks, roasts, ground beef, stewing beef, short ribs, etc) at prices comparable to or lower than your local grocery store or butcher shop. We do not sell halves or quarters of beef at this time. We often have offal available as well, although there sometimes is a waitlist for popular items such as tongue, oxtail, and suet/fat.