Step One:

Fresh whole milk is delivered to the cheesemaker directly from the farms. It is weighed, and then tested for quality and yield. This is done by taking somatic cells counts for bacteria and determining the amount of protein and milkfat in the mild. Whole milk is used to make some cheeses and partially skimmed milk to make other cheese. At this point the milk is standardized according to the desired level of milkfat for the resulting cheeses.