She Grows Food

We’re teaming up with chefs Gida Snyder and Ave Lambert on a year long campaign to help Naked Cow Dairy develop a cheese making operation on their Waianae dairy.

Sisters Monique van der Stroom and Sabrina St. Martin have always had their sights set on making cheese and they are almost there. They’ve raised the funds for a 200 gallon pasteurizing vat and now need the heating element, as well as funds to renovate a small existing room on the farm with climate control features that will make it the only cow milk cheese cave in the state of Hawaii.

With state and federal assistance funds to farmers dwindling (most also ban the use of funding awards for equipment) Naked Cow Dairy has joined the growing movement of businesses and community projects turning to crowdfunding to get important endeavors underway. IndieGoGo is the world’s largest global funding platform. Founded on the principles of opportunity, transparency and action IndieGoGo’s platform has helped raised millions of dollars for creative, cause-related and entrepreneurial projects that are bringing vibrancy back into local communities around the world. By providing the tools and a platform already integrating social media tools, IndieGoGo helps project makers create campaigns to get their stories out and raise funds.

In the case of Naked Cow Dairy, we see this cheese making equipment as infrastructure. As a community, we need to stop waiting and start building the food system we want ourselves. You want cheese? Who better to make some for you than your local dairy!

Coming up here at SGF are updates, profiles on Monique and Sabrina, the story of Naked Cow Dairy, and fun with cheese in kitchen with Gida and Ave.

We’re looking to help them raise $15,000 in 60 days. Let’s do it Hawaii!

Go to Naked Cow Dairy’s IndieGoGo page to add your support!

Naked Cow Dairy’s web site