Many Fold Farm in Chattahoochee Hills, Ga., announced Friday that it plans to stop cheese production on the first of the year. The farmstead operation—founded in 2009 just outside Atlanta—is known for its award-winning sheep’s milk cheeses (Many Fold’s Condor’s Ruin and Peekville Tomme just scored first-place and second-place ribbons, respectively, at the American Cheese Society Judging & Competition in July.)

According to a statement on the farm’s website:

The creamery at Many Fold Farm will be shutting its doors as of January 1, 2017, for the foreseeable future. We aren’t selling the business, nor the brand, nor the stock. We will continue farming operations and practicing good land stewardship. We are taking a moment to decide how we can better serve the food and farming community. We have shown that there is substantial interest in and demand for beautiful cheese made by hand on farms in the United States. We have stood and continue to stand alongside others to show that the southeast can add cheesemaking to its list of culinary traditions.

While the news is a bummer to be sure, as well as a blow to the South’s artisan cheese scene, we wish Rebecca, Ross, and the rest of the team at Many Fold Farm the best in future pursuits.

Click here to read the Many Fold Farm feature from our summer issue.

Featured photo by Ali Harper

Casey Walker

​Casey Walker is a Boston-based writer, constantly scoping out new recipes and restaurants.