Maggie and her daughter, Lottie.
We don’t hear a lot from cheese makers in Mississippi and we have no idea why that is. We were thrilled when Maggie agreed to do this interview. We learned a little bit about Southern hospitality in the way she opened up her life to us and we are honored to share it with you. There’s no question that Maggie Byrd is an amazing woman.
Maggie’s Story
I’m a real estate appraiser full time. Typically I’m home most days, as I work from home, but every so often I have to do field work.
I gave up my big house near the city for a little hunting cabin on a larger tract of land.
The porch has stuff on it because we were building a storage area.
My reasoning was to grow more of my own food so when I retired I could be comfortable. The big house was expensive to maintain, heat/cool and the taxes were high. Plus, I had some animals and the city was growing up around me, crowding me out. We ended up with 100 acres here and about 51 of that is pasture.
It is so beautiful here, it just takes my breath away. We have abundant wildlife and I’m surrounded with my chickens, guineas, turkeys, goats, dogs and horses. I am very content here. If I miss my big house I walk outside and remember why I traded.
View from the back of the lake. Our house is up on the hill above the lake – far upper right. A lot of Mississippi is flat lands, but not here.
I am bounded on the east side by an abandoned railroad track that was the one seized by General Grant during the Civil War. It was the line that ran from Corinth, MS. Grant occupied Holly Springs during the war between the states but did not burn it down as he did elsewhere.
My goats…
I got goats in 2014, because, at the time, farmers told me if I had goats I could get USDA assistance for fencing. Turns out that ship had sailed but, by the time I learned that, I had goats and found that they are such charming, curious, funny creatures that I grew to love them.
Once they started having kids, I started milking them. I viewed it as a sacrifice on the part of my does, so I started thinking of ways to utilize it and well, hence, cheese making. Even though I was only milking one at a time because of working full time, I had a lot of milk stacking up in the refrigerator.
Because the milk is so fresh and because I bleach the jars, strain and store immediately (perhaps) I don’t have a flavor different than whole cow’s milk, really. I’ve heard some say goat milk is strong but that is not my experience. It may be because of the type of goats I have.
Milk being strained into a sterilized jar after milking.
Goats are, I’ve found, like potato chips – you can’t have just one. Right now, I have 23 goats which includes 10 does, 9 bucks and 4 kids. They are all registered ADGA Nigerian Dwarf Milk Goats under the herd name, Hi Cotton.
I got Nigerian Dwarf Milk Goats in part because of their size which, as an older person, appealed. The males shouldn’t weigh more than 75 lbs and the does a bit less, so I felt I could wrestle them for feet trimming, etc. Also, they are reputed to have the highest butter fat of any of the breeds, which I liked.
Goats are the most endearing, charming, and sometimes maddening creatures. They have these very innocent expressions on their faces, all the while plotting what new mischief they can get into. They are curious and look for things to occupy their time such as carefully peeling off repair tape that I had just put on some of their houses, or creating a new escape route from their confinement. I’ve even had some master the gate latches that have to be lifted level before rotating back to open the gate.
They are clever. I included a picture of the girls all viewing the gates I propped up to keep them behind the house. I was outside laughing at them saying, “I got you now.” They watched me mock them then then knelt down and crawled through. Oh, they are devilish.
The goats tend to stay up near the house using about 15 of those acres. They wander a little but mostly to visit food sources they favor. They have cleared out the honeysuckle and wild grape vines. I read recently that the University of Tennessee is using them to clear kudzu (an invasive plant) from their campus.
Their love for grapes means that I’ve had to enclose my domestic grape vines as when they escape they make a bee line to eat my grapes to the ground. They also eat my roses. I’ve gotten better at confining them (wink wink until they figure something new out).
My cheese…
Since I have goats, of course, I’m trying to make goat milk cheeses. I googled cheese making and found you (cheesemaking.com). Initially, I got some kits and found it so fascinating, I continued through failures and successes. The dogs got my failures. They were delighted.
Mozzarella
My favorite cheese is probably chevre. It is a “go-to” for storing the goat’s milk. It is super easy and the result is very good every time. I think it is my favorite for the ease. Also it is very versatile. I like to form it into shapes such as half a dixie cup and invert it into a bowl, sprinkle chili powder, cumin, garlic (lightly), and paprika on it, then surround it with salsa and serve it at room temperature like a dip with chips.
Chevre preserved in oil and spices.
I think the fun thing about chevre (besides the ease) is that it will accommodate any flavor. I can season it savory or sweet. I can crumble it plain over a salad. I can put a slice on a tomato with a spring of fresh basil. I also love it on toasted Goat Milk Whey Bread (from your Goat Cheese Kit) with some fresh preserves. I’ve used it in lasagna in place of ricotta. It freezes well.
Chevre with goat milk whey bread and homemade organic peach preserves from my trees.
I have also tried chevre with an ash finish for a mold-ripened goat cheese and I finished one with lavender once.
Mold grown ash covered aged goat cheese before it was wrapped for storage. The two glasses held a cheese cloth over them to protect them from dust, etc.
The mold-ripened cheeses dry out too quickly for me. I wrapped them and those we ate quickly were good. Those that didn’t get eaten were quickly enjoyed by the dogs.
The colby recipe I’ve found works well with goat’s milk and if I age it longer, it tastes like a sharp cheddar.
Colby before I waxed it.
After 3 or 4 months.
I tried the Mustard and Ale cheese using store bought cow’s milk mixed with goat’s milk. It was a fail from lack of heat control, I think. Not really sure, but I know it isn’t looking right.
I tried the Drunken Goat cheese. It is pretty and the flavor is exactly like the wine you use (so use one you really enjoy). I liked that I could clean it with the wine when any mold popped up. I wasn’t crazy about the texture on my first try. It was a bit dry maybe. But, I found that with additional aging, the texture improved.
Drunken Goat Cheese (Cabra al Vino). That is Goat Milk Whey Bread beside it. I use 4 cups of organic whole wheat to start, then finish with 4 cups of organic white flour to make the dough. I love it fresh from the oven.
As I learn, I have more success and consistency.
I’m currently trying the Nomadic Shepherd’s cheese now. I liked how easy the recipe was. I look forward to cutting it in 3 or 4 months. I didn’t have sheep’s milk so I made it entirely with goat’s milk. Since I have only one girl in milk, I have to save the milk up for a batch so I made the first batch with one gallon of milk.
Nomadic Shepherd’s cheese oiled with slurry.
Fingers crossed it will be wonderful when done. I think I’d like to try it again using olive oil. I used a lighter grape seed oil and it didn’t stick on the cheese like I think the heavier oil might. I thought it might be good as it has preservative characteristics. Also, I thought I might like to use a different spice for the finish. It could be a fun experiment. I got a beautiful smoked Spanish paprika from an Etsy spice supplier. It is heavenly.
I also make yogurt and ice cream using yogurt as the starter.
Chocolate frozen yogurt from my goat’s milk.
I’ve had some misses. Cheddar didn’t work well for goat’s milk when I tried it, however, I’m getting better at regulating temperatures which improves the finished product. I’ve added a double boiler to my equipment which is pretty much a must-have for heating milk for cheese making. It was very hard to get the milk right without the double boiler.
Once I got a press, I got better looking results also. I got a home made one off Etsy that works just fine and was very modest in price. Some folks make their own presses and if I had more time I might have tried to do that.
With cheese in the mold.
If I win the lottery, I would love to have a machine that heats and cools the milk for me but till then I have a handy dandy thermometer and a kitchen timer so I don’t forget the milk is on the stove.
Right now my cave is a refrigerator which I know isn’t perfect. But I have a smaller refrigerator coming soon that says I can regulate the temperature. (I’m not very scientific. I’m flying by the seat of my pants and making due until I can improve my equipment.)
I like cheese making because it is an art form. It can be as difficult or as easy as you like. I’m getting enough varieties curing that I keep threatening to have a wine and cheese tasting party for my friends. Food and friends – a great combination.
I label my cheeses by which goat was giving milk at that time. Once, I had a sample I sent to one of my friends whose husband adores home made cheeses and he thought the goat name was the brand name, “Lulu Belle’s Cheese.” I think that is a charming idea – each cheese named by the goat that provided the milk.
I think one of the reasons I’m not afraid to try new things is that I’m not afraid to fail. I think failures are “paying for our education.” We learn from successes and from failure. And when I had failures I didn’t give up – I tried again.
My dogs…
I have 14 dogs, 9 of which are my registered Jack Russell Terriers that I have developed over several decades. They are at http://www.hicottonterriers.com/.
In 2007, I think.
I write a little. I’ve been published in the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America’s national magazine, True Grit. Mostly, I wrote articles about taking care of dogs, dog disorders, breeding strategies and techniques, health issues, management and training, etc..
One of my Jack Russell puppies.
I was also chairman of the JRTCA breeder’s committee for several years. No time for that now with the farm and moving and building new structures, etc.
The new dog runs.
My horses, turkeys, chickens, bees, etc…
I rescued these two – Little Mama and Baby. I have 4 horses – 3 of which I rescued for my sins.
Baby (older) and a rescue, Rose.
Tango. Tango and Rose are getting pretty old now.
This is one of my domestic Chocolate Turkeys, that’s their name for their brown color. They were prevalent in the South and in France before the Civil War so it seemed appropriate to bring the recreated breed here again. They breed on their own and hatch their own chicks. I need to help the mothers feed the keets and keep them safe before letting them loose on the farm. I found if I confine the mother with the keets in a pen and give them the high protein feed they need I have a
high success rate. Keeping the mother with the babies cements their bond and the mothers will help integrate them into the flock when they are released.
This beautiful wild turkey was one we raised, released and who showed back up at mating time to cause trouble in the kingdom. The Eastern wild turkeys range over a large area, so I didn’t want to mix him with my domestic turkeys and lead them astray. It was both sad and fortuitous when he attacked one of the dogs and was killed.
Mr. and Mrs. Guinea Hen with their brood.
These are baby chicks being raised in a pen with their mother who keeps them warm. Sometimes I raise them under lamps but these were hatched by that hen. By confining them, I can feed them special feed and keep them safe from predators.
Bee hives. They have to have a fence around them or the guineas will eat them.
I got a call from a friend one day asking if I would consider rehabbing some orphaned opossums. I Googled how to care for them and was able to raise them. They liked cooked sweet potatoes and, corn on the cob etc. I taught them to eat bugs by releasing crickets in their cage. They found the crickets annoying and snapped at the annoying bugs eating it in the process. The look on the critter’s face was so cute. He got this far away look on his face as if to say, “Mmmm they taste just like chicken.” I released them in a natural burrow and took food to them for a few weeks till they were established.
A woodpecker I rehabbed and released. She moved across the street to my neighbor’s woods and has had young of her own. He knows her as she is tamer than the wild birds and has a distinctive voice. She brought babies up with her to eat at his bird feeder. I’m so proud. I’m a woodpecker
grandmother.
My homegrown food…
The peach orchard I put in.
Canned tomatoes. I do a bit of informal barter using eggs, cheese and bread in return for garden produce and help when I need the use of a front end loader. My neighbor has one and I don’t.
My dill pickles, Cowboy Candy and pickled okra and squash. If you haven’t tried Cowboy Candy let me recommend that stuff. It is so yummy used very sparely on a burger. I think in Texas they like it on tacos as well. It is spicy but not as hot as you think it might be. I’m making some more this fall. Hint: wear rubber gloves when you cut the peppers.
Canned chicken.
My art…
I do etching and engraving on glass. When I was in my 20’s, I worked for a stained glass studio in Austin, TX. I did design work for them and the etching stencils.
I do linoleum block printing and when I retire I want to pursue that more and sell the prints on Etsy.
A miniature oil painting I did for myself.
I make soap too. This is freshly poured into the mold to season for a few days before being cut. I use only food grade oils and real essential oils distilled from plants for scenting.
My photography…
A deer I photographed as I was going out the driveway on the hill above the road.
A Spring peeper.
Pond in winter from the south east side.
Moss blooming in one of the draws at the back.
You know I say all the time 70 is the new 40. I just keep going. Some of the work is harder but as I push myself to do it I get stronger and I’m able to do more.
This is a very current picture of me when we did a controlled burn. I was walking with a kerosene drip beside me and the fire was following me as the kerosene dripped into the native grass. I was walking fast I can tell you to stay ahead of the flames. One of the ones volunteering for the burn took my picture then.
I had a chance to trade some hay for a Dexter heifer calf but then I thought of all the other equipment, etc. I’d have to have to care for the bigger animal. I’ve wanted another Jersey cow like the one I had when I was a kid on the farm – Little Moo Moo. I fed her on a bucket with a nipple, then when she was older I milked her for the family.
We had heavy cream for strawberries, butter and buttermilk and us kids had all the milk we could drink. The excess was fed to hogs but wouldn’t that be lovely for making cheese! So I turned down the Dexter. It wasn’t the breed I wanted most and I didn’t wish to add a large animal to my list of things to do.
Website for Hi Cotton Nigerian Dwarf Goats
Website for Hi Cotton Jack Russell Terriers
MeWe Website
The Incredible Ms. Lottie
