How Eating Cheese Will Help Farms Affected by Wildfires

It's heartbreaking, it's hopeful, it's humorous. Experiencing the Texas wildfires through the tweets of Blue Heron Farm (a goat farm located in Waller County) has personalized the ongoing disaster in a way that a newscast cannot. Aside from their constant updates on the fire situation in Field Store, Texas, we've also learned that they're now harboring two additional farms' goats on their property.

A lot of milking goats means a lot of milk, and there's not enough refrigeration for it all. So, what's a farmer to do? Make cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.

One of Blue Heron's owners, Christian Seger has been giving Eater daily updates and tells us that the first batch of cheese didn't turn out quite right. "When you do something like stress out all the animals and mix up different breeds like we've done here today it's not as easy to produce the results that we're used to."

But forging ahead, the cheese making continues with two more batches in the works today with plans to distribute/sell through Revival Market and Urban Harvest farmers market this weekend, with additional help from the Houston Dairymaids (for storage), Vic & Anthony's (they'll use some in the restaurant) and Jeremy Goodwin from a Single Man's Kitchen. Look for the cooperative cheese effort, Fieldstore Fire Chevre on shelves soon and help support Blue Heron Farm, Swede Farm and Fairwood Farm make it through the fires with one less worry (and score some tasty goat cheese too).

As far as the Houston food scene goes, several have called the community into action. One of those is chef Chris Shepherd, of the soon-to-open Underbelly. Shepherd has called a meeting for 4 p.m. today at 13 Celsius to organize relief efforts and told Eater what will be discussed this afternoon.

We are asking the food community to really be involved. Other than that we also need to get out the importance of other donations such as clothing, toiletries and toys for the kids. We are not only trying to feed these people but make them feel better with what is going on.

· Blue Heron Farm [Twitter]
· Chris Shepherd [Twitter]
· Texas Wildfires: Blue Heron Farm [EHTX]