Anchorage Daily News

WASILLA -- A new creamery opened in March to support the Matanuska Valley's traditional dairy industry is turning out Alaska Gold Nugget Cheddar by the ton, for deliveries to begin June 1.

"About 6.5 tons is pre-ordered, but we would like to sell more," said Kyle Beus, a former dairy farmer and primary owner of the Matanuska Creamery. "We'd like to sell another 6 to 8 tons."

The pre-paid orders, billed as the Cheese Futures campaign, is the inspiration of Karen Olson, the daughter of Matanuska Valley pioneers and spokeswoman for Alaska Farmers and Stockgrowers Inc. Supporters of the Valley's dairy industry are asked to purchase two pounds for $30, six pounds for $90 or 10 pounds for $150.

So far the pre-paid orders have netted the creamery about $135,000, which will be used to pay for milk being delivered from area farms. Farmers had been dumping their milk on the ground since dairy producer Matanuska Maid stopped production last year.

"There has been tremendous interest," Beus said. "We've had a lot of people asking if they could help. Now the farmers can stop taking perfectly good milk and dumping it on their fields. I'm able to make it, the farmers get paid, and the public gets what it wants" in fresh dairy products, he said.

AGED AT LEAST 60 DAYS

The cheese, which must be aged at least 60 days, will be ready for delivery June 1. Much of it was purchased with lump-sum payments of $25,000 by three mining companies and will be donated to charities. Other buyers will be able to pick up their orders at the Anchorage Farmers Market, Beus said.

As the blocks of cheddar pile up in the creamery cooler off the Palmer-Wasilla Highway, Beus is planning ahead for sales of milk and a variety of fresh ice cream flavors and cheeses.

Plans are to begin wholesaling fluid milk to retailers in the first part of May, he said. "Between now and then we will continue to make high volumes of cheddar cheese."

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