Central Valley - Loop #2

Starting in the center of California, two hours straight east from San Francisco, at the top of the Central Valley farming region, visit Stuyt Dairy Farmstead Cheese, where you can pick up a variety of Gouda, fresh cheeses and any new cheeses made by the family, who originally made their way here from The Netherlands. While there, peek into the tiny small-batch creamery. Another Dutch family, the Bulks, have their creamery, Oakdale Cheese & Specialties, just a few minutes away. They make Gouda of all varieties as well as a mean toasted Gouda grilled cheese sandwich. Picnic there and hang out with their animals in the outdoor petting zoo. From there, begin your trip south to Modesto, to another farmstead operation: Fiscalini Cheese Company. Cows surround their creamery, where they make their award-winning Bandage Wrapped Cheddar. Purchase cheese in their tiny office/shop. Then just a half hour south, for a completely different experience. Hilmar Cheese Company, one of the largest creameries in the world, making over two million pounds of cheese a day, was started by a group of dairy farmers. Videos show you the cheesemaking process, and there are all sorts of educational "toys" in their upstairs exhibit and even a restaurant. You can see cheesemakers filling curd into 200 lb. blocks. It’s not to be missed. As always, you don’t have to do it all. Pick and choose and then go back another time to discover what you missed the first time around.