Why the Name Dirt Lover?
People ask me all the time how I came up with the name for our original recipe cheese, Dirt Lover. Most of the time, I’ll mention how the ash coating reminded me of dirt. But every now and then, I share the real story—the one about the customer at our farmers’ market whose t-shirt I couldn’t stop thinking about. It read: “I’m proud to be a Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging, dirt lover!” That slogan captured what our farm stands for—well, except maybe the Birkenstock part—sandals aren’t a very practical shoe on a farm! Here at Green Dirt, we live by the belief that soil, trees, and the whole farm ecosystem are what make everything possible. And yeah, we’re absolutely a bunch of tree-hugging dirt lovers.
Making Dirt Lover
Dirt Lover was one of the first cheeses I ever made here at Green Dirt Farm. When I was figuring out the recipe, I kept thinking about those classic ash-coated French farmhouse goat cheeses—Valençay, Selles-Sur-Cher, all those beautiful traditional styles. But I wanted to do something different. That’s where the sheep milk comes in! It makes Dirt Lover completely unique. In fact, ours is one of only a handful of soft-ripened sheep milk cheeses you’ll find anywhere in the world.
We make Dirt Lover by ladling it into forms and letting it drain overnight. The next day, we salt it and dust vegetable ash onto the rind. That ash isn’t just for show—it’s an old-world tradition that neutralizes the rind’s pH and creates the perfect environment for the rind to develop. Then, Dirt Lover spends about 7 to 10 days in our aging room before we wrap it. During that time, the rind yeasts and molds work their magic, creating that beautiful white “bloomy” rind you see on the outside.
Even after we wrap it, Dirt Lover keeps changing and ripening. When it’s young, the texture is firm—kind of like Feta—with a really smooth mouthfeel. But as it ages, something magical happens: a soft, creamy layer begins to form just under the rind. That layer keeps growing until eventually, almost the whole cheese has this luscious, room-temperature butter texture. Dirt Lover hits its ripening sweet spot at around 6 to 8 weeks old.
Eating Dirt Lover
When Dirt Lover is young, you’ll taste butter, lemon, and mushroom notes. As it ages, it gets earthier—almost beefy. And that aroma? It smells like wet dirt, in the best way possible. Like when you’re out working in the garden on a spring morning. Pair it with a chilled Rosé or a crisp white wine, a wheat beer, some dried apricots, or candied pecans. It also makes an incredible tart with mushrooms and thyme. And when you slice into it, that dark ash line running through the middle makes Dirt Lover a real showstopper on any cheese plate.
Dirt Lover Makes Us Proud
You’ll find plenty of hard sheep’s milk cheeses out there, but soft bloomy rind ones? Those are incredibly rare. Dirt Lover is one of just a handful of soft-ripened, bloomy rind sheep’s milk cheeses found anywhere.
When Dirt Lover won first place in the American Originals category at the American Cheese Society competition again in 2025, we were over the moon. It confirmed what we already knew: this is a truly original recipe made only at Green Dirt Farm. That same year, we were especially honored when Dirt Lover received a Best of 15 Years Good Food Award, recognizing it among the most outstanding winners in the history of the program.
The honors didn’t stop there. In 2026, Dirt Lover earned another Good Food Award. Selected through a blind tasting process from more than 1,200 entries, the Good Food Awards recognize products that demonstrate outstanding taste, craftsmanship, and responsible production. Together, the winners represent the very best of American food production, from farmers, ranchers, fishers, and food artisans across the country.
For a cheese that began with a simple t-shirt slogan and a desire to create something entirely unique from sheep’s milk, these awards are a joyous reminder that great food starts with great farming, careful craftsmanship, and a community of people who believe food should be both delicious and meaningful.
It’s the perfect recognition of the Dirt Lover spirit.
Other accolades for Dirt Lover include… Culture Magazine’s list of the Best Cheeses of 2022. Recognition at the American Cheese Society annual competition in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
