Randy Chandler
Lively Run Dairy is one of the longest-operating commercial goat dairies in the United States, beginning production in New York State in 1982. The family-owned creamery is located in the Finger Lakes region of New York and is known for its artisanal goat cheese. Lively Run's goat herd is made up of French Alpines and Swiss Saanens, who are fed a diet of local forage and feed, capturing the terroir of the Finger Lakes region in their milk. The dairy produces a range of goat cheeses, including fresh chèvre, feta, and blue cheese, with their specialty being carefully aged goat's milk cheeses like Cayuga Blue and Finger Lakes Gold. Lively Run's goat cheese has a creamy yet delicate texture and captures a slight tang and grassy notes, making it a versatile ingredient in both savoury dishes and sweet desserts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Interlaken, Finger Lakes Region, New York State |
| Type of Dairy | Goat |
| Year of Establishment | 1982 |
| Founders | The Messner/Messmer family |
| Current Head | Pete Messmer |
| Type of Cheese | Chèvre, Cayuga Blue, Finger Lakes Gold, Extra-Aged Finger Lakes Gold Reserve |
| Flavour | Tangy, grassy, nutty, salty, caramelly, earthy, toasty, cocoa |
| Texture | Creamy, delicate |
| Awards | 2019 ACS Best in Class Hard Goat's Milk Cheese, 2022 American Cheese Society's Competition (2 gold, 1 silver) |
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What You'll Learn
- Lively Run Dairy is a family-run business based in the Finger Lakes region of New York State
- They produce goat's and cow's milk cheeses, including the rare all goat's milk blue cheese, Cayuga Blue
- The Messner family has run the farm since 1995, with Pete Messner taking over as head cheesemaker in 2013
- Lively Run's goats are fed a diet of local forage and feed, which gives their cheese its distinctive grassy notes
- Lively Run's Cayuga Blue has won several awards, including from the American Cheese Society
Lively Run Dairy is a family-run business based in the Finger Lakes region of New York State
The business is currently run by the Messner family, who took over operations in 1995. The family's story with goat dairy began when Steve and Susanne Messner bought the property in Interlaken, New York, and continued to run it as a goat dairy farm. Susanne, in particular, took over herd management and cheesemaking, crafting fresh cheeses like feta and chevre, as well as aged varieties. Their sons, Pete and Dave, were also involved from a young age, helping with morning and evening farm chores.
Pete Messner eventually took the lead as head cheesemaker in 2013 and expanded Lively Run's product line to include more aged goat cheeses and cow's milk cheeses. The dairy's herd is comprised of French Alpines and Swiss Saanens, who are fed a diet of local forage and feed. This captures the terroir of the Finger Lakes region in their milk and, ultimately, the flavour of Lively Run's cheeses.
Lively Run Dairy's products include the popular Cayuga Blue, a rare, all-goat's milk blue cheese with a savory depth and notes of cocoa. They also produce small-batch fresh goat cheese, known as chèvre, which is great for everyday snacking or elevating a cheese board. This cheese captures the bright, tangy flavour of pure goat's milk and is incredibly versatile, lending itself to both sweet and savoury dishes.
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They produce goat's and cow's milk cheeses, including the rare all goat's milk blue cheese, Cayuga Blue
Lively Run Dairy is one of the longest-operating commercial goat dairies in the United States, starting production in New York State in 1982. It is a family-run creamery and a pioneer in American-made goat cheese. Lively Run produces goat and cow's milk cheeses, including the rare all-goat's milk blue cheese, Cayuga Blue, which has been produced since 1995.
Cayuga Blue is loosely based on the French Roquefort. It is a natural rind, blue-veined cheese with a complex and delicate flavour. The cheese is aged for two months, after which it develops a strong, creamy, and rich flavour. Cayuga Blue is known for its marbling of blue mould (penicillum roqueforti) and has been featured in national food publications such as Saveur, Forbes, and Culture Magazine. It is also used in high-end restaurants and cheese shops.
Lively Run's goat herd is made up of French Alpines and Swiss Saanens, who are fed a diet of local forage and feed to capture the terroir of the Finger Lakes region in their milk. This lends a grassy note to the cheese, a characteristic that is prized in fresh chèvre, which relies on youth for its vibrant character. Lively Run's small-batch chèvre is crafted with goat's milk from local Finger Lakes farms in Upstate New York, capturing a slight tang and grassy notes.
Cayuga Blue is described as having a mild, earthy, and mushroomy flavour, making it a more approachable blue cheese for those who may find other blue cheeses too acidic or pungent. It has a savory depth with notes of cocoa and a mild pepperiness. Cayuga Blue pairs well with powerful wines and beers, such as Reisling, Lemberger, or Pinot Noir, and can be served with Brooklyn Cured Smoked Beef Salami for an umami-packed bite.
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The Messner family has run the farm since 1995, with Pete Messner taking over as head cheesemaker in 2013
Lively Run Dairy is one of the longest-operating commercial goat dairies in the United States. It began production in New York State in 1982 and has been a pioneer in American-made goat cheese. The dairy is located in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York.
The Messner family has run the farm since 1995. Steve and Susanne Messner bought the property and brought their family back from Europe in the early 1990s. Susanne took over herd management and cheesemaking, while Steve handled morning milkings, haymaking, and barn maintenance and cleaning. Their sons, Pete and Dave, also helped from a young age, taking over morning and evening farm chores.
In 2013, Pete Messner took over as head cheesemaker. He expanded Lively Run's products to include more aged goat cheeses and cow's milk cheeses. The dairy's specialty is carefully aged goat's milk cheeses like Cayuga Blue and Finger Lakes Gold. In 2022, Pete and the Lively Run team won three awards from the American Cheese Society for their goat's milk Cayuga Blue, Finger Lakes Gold, and extra-aged Finger Lakes Gold Reserve.
Lively Run's goats are fed a diet of local forage and feed, capturing the terroir of the Finger Lakes region in their milk and, eventually, the cheese. The dairy's small-batch fresh chèvre uses milk from local farms in the Finger Lakes region, resulting in a creamy yet delicate cheese with a slight tang and grassy notes.
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Lively Run's goats are fed a diet of local forage and feed, which gives their cheese its distinctive grassy notes
Lively Run Dairy is one of the longest-operating commercial goat dairies in the United States, having begun production in New York State in 1982. It is a family-owned and operated creamery located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York, pioneering goat cheese in the American marketplace. The Messner (or Messmer) family has run the farm and dairy since 1995, with Susanne taking over herd management and cheese-making operations. Their herd is made up of French Alpines and Swiss Saanens, who are fed a diet of local forage and feed, resulting in milk that captures the terroir of the Finger Lakes region. This distinctive local flavour comes through in their cheeses, particularly in their fresh chèvre, which is known for its grassy notes.
Lively Run's small-batch chèvre uses goat's milk from local farms in the Finger Lakes region, capturing a slight tang and grassy notes. The craft of cheese-making is obvious in each creamy yet delicate bite. The grassy notes in Lively Run's chèvre can be attributed to the diet of their goats, which includes local forage and feed. This family-run creamery is an American goat cheese pioneer, and their cheese can be used in a variety of dishes, from savoury to sweet.
Lively Run's Cayuga Blue is another example of their cheese that showcases the local forage and feed diet of their goats. This rare, all-goat's milk blue cheese has a mild and toasty flavour with notes of cocoa and a hint of pepperiness. It is named for the longest of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, where the dairy is located. The cheese has a natural rind formed in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms, allowing the air to dry the outside of the cheese with minimal intervention.
In addition to their goat's milk cheeses, Lively Run also produces cow's milk cheeses to provide work for their staff during the winter months when goat's milk production slows down. They have expanded their product line to include aged goat cheeses and cow's milk varieties, such as feta and chevre. Lively Run's commitment to sustainability, animal welfare, and quality has contributed to their reputation as a leading producer of artisanal cheese in the United States.
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Lively Run's Cayuga Blue has won several awards, including from the American Cheese Society
Lively Run Dairy is one of the longest-operating commercial goat dairies in the United States, starting production in New York State in 1982. The dairy is located in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York and has been run by the Messner family since 1995. Lively Run Dairy is known for its small-batch goat's milk cheeses, carefully aged and crafted with milk from local farms. Their specialty is the aged goat's milk blue cheese, Cayuga Blue, which has won several awards and accolades over the years.
Lively Runs Cayuga Blue is a rare treat—an American-made, all-goat's milk blue cheese. It is neither intensely tangy like many goat cheeses nor intensely pungent like many blue cheeses, making it a great option for those who may be hesitant about either variety. Cayuga Blue has a mild and toasty flavour profile, with notes of cocoa and a subtle peppery kick. Its earthy richness pairs incredibly well with a variety of dishes, from burgers with sauteed mushrooms to thin slices of fig almond cake.
Cayuga Blue has received recognition from renowned cheese experts and publications. In 2007, it was featured in Food and Wine magazine's listing of "Best American Cheese in the United States". Laura Werlin, an authority on American cheese, praised Cayuga Blue in her book, stating that it "has a thin rustic-looking skin and a round, rich, full-bodied flavor that ranks among the top blue cheeses in the nation, and is perhaps the finest goat's milk blue."
In addition to this, Lively Run Cayuga Blue has won several awards from the prestigious American Cheese Society. In 2017, it was awarded First Place in its class at the American Cheese Society Cheese Contest in Denver. More recently, in 2022, Cayuga Blue earned two gold medals and one silver medal at the American Cheese Society's annual competition. This prestigious competition attracts hundreds of entries from across the United States and Canada, making Lively Run's achievements all the more impressive.
Lively Run Dairy's Cayuga Blue is a true testament to the craft of cheesemaking and the quality of American-made goat's milk cheese. With its unique flavour profile and versatility in culinary applications, it has earned its place among the nation's top blue cheeses. The awards and recognition received from industry experts and competitions further solidify the reputation of Lively Run Dairy as a leading producer of artisanal goat's milk cheese.
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Frequently asked questions
Lively Run Dairy is one of the longest-operating commercial goat dairies in the United States, beginning production in New York State in 1982.
Lively Run Dairy makes a wide range of cheeses, but their specialty is carefully aged goat's milk styles like Cayuga Blue, Finger Lakes Gold, and extra-aged Finger Lakes Gold Reserve. They also make cow's milk cheese.
Cayuga Blue is a rare treat—an American-made, all-goat's milk blue. It is mild and toasty with a savory depth and notes of cocoa. It is neither intensely tangy like many goat cheeses nor intensely pungent like many blues.
Lively Run Chèvre is great for everyday snacking or an elevated cheese board. It can be incorporated into savory dishes or sweet desserts (try it as a swap for cream cheese). It can be blended into dips, topped on soups and salads, or added to a cheesecake.
