Jamie Ryer's New Adventure

Last September we posted our interview with Jamie Ryer, a master cheesemaker in Fairfax, Virginia (http://blog.cheesemaking.com/jamie-ryer-in-fairfax-virginia/). Then, in March he sent us a report about his experiences at a cheesemaking retreat taught by Kate Johnson in Hawaii (http://blog.cheesemaking.com/cheesemaking-in-paradise/).

Now, after suffering a set-back in his life, he is pivoting in a new direction. We’re honored that he shared his plan with us and we’re happy to support him in his next BIG adventure.

Big Cheesy Dreams

By Jamie Ryer

Little did I know when I clicked the link in a New England Cheesemaking Supply newsletter back in January that my life would change forever. That link was to an article about a Hawaiian cheesemaking retreat led by Kate Johnson of The Art of Cheese and I was about to begin a whole new journey of my own. Who could ever have imagined that my attendance at that retreat, along with the series of events that followed, would lead me to the next chapter in my life – a story I have only begun to write.

I had been making cheese as an amateur for a couple of years and had attended several of Jim Wallace’s classes. I had also been buying supplies from New England Cheesemaking Supply (cheesemaking.com) for years and had even had the privilege of meeting Ricki Carroll, founder of this great and incredibly successful company, who encouraged me to quit my job and teach and make cheese. Although I’d been a successful IT professional throughout my 20 year career, Ricki sensed my passion and love for this cheesemaking hobby.

When I read the article about the Cheesemaking Retreat in Hawaii, I jumped at the opportunity to attend and grabbed one of the last spots. It sold out very quickly! Who wouldn’t want to make cheese in paradise in the middle of February?

It was a magical and educational week on so many levels. I really connected with Kate, who saw my interest and passion for making cheese and suggested the same thing that Ricki had – that I should consider following this passion and maybe even collaborate with her in some way teaching classes together in the future.

I also found inspiration on the Big Island itself. Toward the end of the week, while hiking to a waterfall in Kona by myself, I was overwhelmed by the beauty and the feeling that I was standing on sacred land steeped in tradition of a beautiful and warm people. The “Mana,” or spirit of Hawaii, came over me and for one moment my soul stirred with the premonition that something drastic was about to change in my life.

I must admit, initially it left me feeling anxious and troubled. But another force came over me reassuring that if I followed my heart, all would be well. I dismissed these feelings and finished an amazing week of learning from Kate, making friends, and experiencing the beautiful Hawaiian aloha.

But when I returned home the next week and went to work, I found out that my position and several other senior leadership positions were being eliminated. I was being laid off for the first time in my career. I took this news very hard. That day I felt numb and uncertain as to what I would do next.

And shortly after this devastating news, the COVID-19 pandemic brought much of the world to a standstill – including my ability to find a suitable replacement job. I was now facing the greatest challenge of my life: What to do next?

So, I decided to make cheese. I put my heart into making more and more cheese and expanding my pallet. It quickly became an obsession.

I was trekking to Amish Country from Virginia twice a week to ensure I had the freshest milk possible. I began crafting new cheeses and pouring my heart into this in an effort to numb the pain I felt from feeling so rejected and cast out by a company I had given my heart and soul to.

A short time later an email came from Kate. “Call me crazy,” she said, “but a student of mine has a farm for sale an hour away from me and I think you should consider it!” Kate asked if I would be interested in the property to start a creamery and a satellite location of her cheesemaking school. My heart skipped a beat, “Could this be the next chapter in my life?”

I traveled out to Colorado, met with the farm owner and Kate, did lots of number crunching and strategizing, and had just decided to try to make it work, when suddenly the farm owner changed her mind and that possibility disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

But you know what they say? When one door shuts, a window often opens. And that window was a little closer to home. A few days later, a contact of mine reached out to me about someone in Connecticut who had a goat farm and an existing creamery with all the requisite cheesemaking equipment and was retiring from cheesemaking. She was interested in renting the facilities out and just raising the goats and selling the milk to someone who wanted to make cheese. Could this person be me? It certainly sounded perfect!

I decided to meet her and at first glance I had an overwhelming feeling this was it. I had been raised in Connecticut, not far from this farm, so visiting this property felt like I was going home. We spoke about renting the facilities and the price was very manageable. It finally looked like I would be moving forward and turning a hobby of cheesemaking into a career.

I still have a few obstacles to overcome but if all goes well, I could be in Connecticut making cheese by mid to late September and by Spring 2021 I hope to be fully operational with classes as well. I plan to call my new venture Copper Hill Creamery and Cheese-crafting School after the name of the street where the farm is located. And Kate and I plan to collaborate in several ways so stay tuned about that!

In life we must all follow our dreams and never give up. If you have something you love to do with all your heart and soul, do it! Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. I truly love making cheese and I love teaching people as well. I hope to one day see you in one of my classes or be able to give you a tour of the creamery where an IT guy left corporate America with big dreams of cheese!

I am presently launching a Kickstarter campaign with a goal to raise funds to ensure I can keep operations going for at least a year. Feel free to navigate to that for more information if you are interested in contributing.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cheese-school/a-creamery-and-cheesemaking-school-for-home-cheesemakers