#182 Nothing "Goaty" Here - Lindsey Washkoviak & Ben Elzay, Medicine Bow Creamery

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

Before starting the interview, some great news from our Wyoming host, Melissa Hemken. The Wyoming Business Council in conjunction with USDA’s Mountain Regional Business Center has created an online directory of Wyoming food and drink. More great resources from RFBC. Today’s guests from the southern part of Wyoming are Lindsey Washkoviak and Ben Elzay, founders of Medicine Bow Creamery at Brush Creek Ranch. It’s a big name of a big operation. It began 12 years ago when Lindsey and Ben fell in love over food. Lindsey is a Wisconsin native, so cheese is part of her heritage. Ben is a Wyoming native and hunting, fishing, gardening and the processing of food is his background, so their union was destiny. A year after meeting, they began making goat cheese leasing part of a friend’s farm to feed and milk their goats. But when the Wyoming Food Freedom Act passed and they could make value-added products in their unlicensed kitchen, they started Slow Goat Farm. Volume grew to the point in 2017 they needed to grow past their own home. Then in 2019, Brush Creek Ranch contacted them because the Ranch had put in an infrastructure to have a food-to-table program, including craft goat cheeses. The Ranch initially wanted Slow Goat Farm to supply them milk, but Slow Goat could not legally sell them milk, so the conversation turned to cheese and creamery production. Brush Creek wanted to start such a program and since Lindsey and Ben already had the business dialed in, it was a natural to have the couple start up the business inside Brush Creek. The timing was excellent as the couple helped finish the design of the creamery and cheese facilities then fell right into production. COVID lockdown slowed things temporarily but the license came through in 2021 for their new company, Medicine Bow Creamery at Brush Creek Ranch. Every business has startup pangs and Medicine Bow has had theirs. When cheese ages, it needs a specific level of heat and humidity. Wyoming is a dry climate and the first batches of goat cheese did not turn out as planned. However, the company has enjoyed strong sales with feta being a big favorite. Interestingly, Brush Creek Ranch is the biggest client, buying all the yogurt that is produced and much of the other production as well. But as Medicine Bow Creamery ramps up production, the couple is confident they will be reaching markets will outside of the Ranch. The couple is excited about all the varieties of cheese they are making as they experiment to find the cheeses that will be most popular when they are able to expand their marketplace. And the chefs at Brush Creek are terrific sounding boards. A quick look at the Brush Creek Ranch: Going back to its founding in 1884, the ranch has stayed alive by evolving into a luxury resort that has upheld its past and western ranch heritage. The spirit of recreation, adventure, and good times shared together prevails, from famous barn and campfire cookouts to cattle drives and fishing on the renowned Brush Creek. This authentic heritage is visibly apparent and despite a plethora of modern amenities, Brush Creek Ranch is still a true working cattle ranch. Lindsey and Ben keep those standards high with their herd of Alpine, Nubian, and Mini Nigerian goats. Guests can meet and learn how the milking process works from the Dairy Managers, play with the kids, shepherd the herd through a relaxing pasture walk, and get a behind the scenes tour of the goat operation. Their award-winning creamery masterfully instills complex flavors into a variety of cheeses, blending old-world and old-west traditions. Their fresh and lightly aged cheeses lack a strong “goaty” flavor due to special diets and gentle milk handling practices. Visit the website at: https://www.brushcreekranch.com/the-farm/medicine-bow-creamery. Follow them on: Instagram andFacebook: Slow Goat Farm Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.