Delicious cheese is located in the mountains Vol.1 Shimizu Ranch Cheese Workshop

In search of the ideal "alpage"
Shimizu Norihira and Harumi from Shimizu Farm Cheese Studio

The middle side of Kamagape Pine, located between Mt. Norikura and Mt. Ontake. Shimizu Norihira and Harumi of Shimizu Ranch Cheese Studio are those who raise 14 Brown Swiss cows and 60 Frisland sheep in a gentle slope of 1,500 to 1,600 meters above sea level, and are passionate about making "mountain cheese."

The cowherd you've always dreamed of

Norihira has longed for being a "cowherd" since he was a child. After a connection to a student at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, he became independent in 1982 and began running a dairy cow ranch that he had longed for in the Okayama Prefecture. However, the lifestyle of arranging food in a cowshed and squeezing milk was different from the image Norihira had envisioned as "a cowherd - grazing cows on a large ranch and squeezing the milk." As the days of questions continue to ask themselves, the Shimizu and his wife have thoroughly studied the relationship between cows and milk. At that time, cheese stimulated the two of them.

"At the beginning of civilization, the domestication of wild animals began, and cheese production began around the time when people began to create villages and work together. That's why, since long ago, the history of humanity and livestock and the history of cheese have an inseparable relationship," says Harumi.

A longing for "alpage"

Even after I started making cheese, I had always wanted to make, but as I deepened my knowledge of cheese making, ordering cheese from France every week, I began to have a strong desire to make cheese in the mountainous region called "Alpage."

"In Europe, the home of cheese, the style of raising cows that suit the local climate and climate, and making cheese from that milk is the norm. The type and flavor of cheese produced differs completely depending on the land. Among these, our ideal style was "Alpage," a high altitude of over 1,500 meters, where cows are grazing from early summer to autumn, feeding high-quality natural grass, and making cheese from that milk."

At the same time, the Shimizu couple learned about Brown Swiss cows raised in the mountainous Alps, and went to Hinosui Ranch in Yamanashi Prefecture, the only country in Japan to raise Brown Swiss cows.
"The moment I was given milk, I said, 'This is it! Norihira said, "I thought that using this beef and milk would make alpage."

Brown Swiss Beef

"At the beginning of civilization, the domestication of wild animals began, and cheese production began around the time when people began to create villages and work together. That's why, since long ago, the history of humanity and livestock and the history of cheese have an inseparable relationship," says Harumi.

In search of the "ideal place" Nagano Moving to

To find the place you envision, first Nagano If you need to sit in the prefecture, Nagano Kita Mimaki Village, prefecture (currentlyTōmi City) and resumed business. The ranch was not an ideal place at an altitude of 750m, but while I wanted to find the perfect place, I realized that 17 years had passed as I spent my busy days. One day, a senior from university visited the couple and came to visit us, and we arrived at the current location of Matsumoto City, Nakagawa (at the time, Nagawa Village).

In the fall of 2005, the workshop opened in the present location.

"Alpage" in the "ideal place"

Grazing begins in May as the long and harsh winter ends. After the morning milking is over, the cows all rushed up through the forest towards the seaweed at once around 6am. The cows and sheep eat the grass that grows naturally in the vast sea basin, drink the pure water that flows from the mountains, and spend their time relaxing. Apparently, around 3pm, he naturally returns to the hut.

Brown Swiss beef quenching his throat with the water from the stream (left) and Millingland sheep gather near his beloved Harumi (right)

Cheese made from brown Swiss and sheep milk, which grew in such a rich environment, has a soft, natural aroma.

Making "Mountain Cheese" for the climate and climate

"When we travel to producers in France, most farmers only make one or two types of cheese. I guess that's because they are particular about making cheese that suits the climate and climate of the area, which has been handed down since ancient times. In the same way, we are conscious of making cheese that suits the climate and climate of the city of Nakagawa, so we only make "mountain cheese" that is traditionally made in the mountainous regions of France," says Shimizu.

An example of cheese from Shimizu Ranch Cheese Studio

Mountain cheese is characterized by its long-aged semi-hard to hardness, and the size varies depending on who makes it. Because he is particular about "mountain cheese," the cheese that Shimizu makes has a deep flavor filled with the nourishment of beef eaten by high-quality alpine grass.

The Shimizu couple pursued their ideal land and have acquired their ideal ranch and workshop over 25 years. The cheese at Shimizu Farm, which is grown in the mountainous natural environment, is condensed with the passion of the Shimizu couple.

*This article is information as of December 2021. Please note that the products we carry may have changed.

Delicious cheese is located in the "Mountain" Vol. 2
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