If you’ve ever dreamed of crafting your own cheese—from fresh chèvre to complex alpine wheels—this immersive workshop is for you.

​

Join us for five unforgettable days with world-renowned natural cheesemaker David Asher, author of The Art of Natural Cheesemaking, as we dive into the art and science of traditional, small-scale cheesemaking. Whether you’re a complete beginner or already have experience under your belt, David’s accessible, down-to-earth teaching style will guide you through a whole new way of working with milk and microbes.

​

Date: Sept 8 - 12, 2025

Price: $1200 per participant **includes lunches

Location: Early Dawn Farm

To register please email dawn@earlydawn.farm and secure your spot by e-transfering the deposit or full amount to the same email.

​​​​​​​

Registration: Spaces are limited, and it is first come first served. 
THIS WORKSHOP IS NON-REFUNDABLE

​​

​

​

​

​

What You’ll Learn

This hands-on course explores natural, time-honoured methods of cheesemaking using raw (or pasteurized) milk, natural cultures, and traditional rennet. We’ll walk through each step of the process—from culture propagation to curd transformation to aging—with a focus on techniques that are practical, repeatable, and deeply connected to the land and animals that sustain us.

​

Each day focuses on a different category of cheese and fermentation practice:

Day 1: Milk & Its Ferments
We begin with the foundation: cultures. You’ll learn how to create and care for traditional dairy ferments like clabber, kefir, Amasi (an African milk beer), and cream-top yogurt.

Day 2: Lactic Cheeses – Fresh & Aged
Using the cultures we developed, we’ll make soft, fresh cheeses like chèvre, cream cheese, and faisselle, then move into French-style aged lactic cheeses like Crottin, Valençay, and Saint Marcellin.

Day 3: Rennet Cheeses, Camembert & Mozzarella
We explore rennet coagulation and transform curd into a variety of forms: Mozzarella, Queso Oaxaca, Burrata—and develop bloomy rind cheeses like Camembert using natural molds and ripening techniques.

Day 4: Blue Cheese & Traditional Rennet
We’ll craft a French Bleu d’Auvergne and delve into the art of cultivating blue mold. You’ll also learn how to make your own rennet the traditional way.

Day 5: Alpine Cheeses – Tomme, Raclette, Ricotta & Caciocavallo
Our final day features mountain-style cheeses like Tomme and Raclette, rind washing, and whey-to-ricotta transformations. We wrap things up with a celebratory stretch into Caciocavallo.

​

Throughout the week, we’ll share nourishing farm lunches, coffee and tea breaks, and stories from the land. We'll close the week with a celebratory Pizza Night, featuring naturally fermented fare made right here at the farm.

This workshop isn’t just about making cheese—it’s about reconnecting with food, animals, land, and each other. You’ll walk away with the skills and confidence to continue fermenting at home, plus a deeper understanding of how traditional food practices nourish both body and spirit.

​

A few details:

• The workshop runs daily from approximately 9:00am–5:00pm

• All materials, ingredients, lunches, and refreshments are provided

• A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot

• The remaining balance is due by August 8th, 2025

• Optional local accommodations available—details provided upon registration
   

We’d be honoured to welcome you to the farm for this truly special week of learning, collaboration, and cheese-loving community.