The Farm
Muranda Holsteins was founded by Tom and Nancy Murray in 1991. Back then, the Murray family’s main focus was producing the highest quality milk out of high caliber cows. In 1997, the Murrays bred a cow that broke the world record for milk production. Muranda Oscar Lucinda produced 67,914 pounds of milk in just one year - that’s about 8500 gallons of milk.
In addition to providing the dairy industry with quality genetics, Muranda also won numerous awards for quality milk including earning the Dairy of Distinction recognition for over 25 years consecutively.
Today, their middle son Blane manages the daily operations of the tasting barn and cheese plant, spending most of his time making cheese at our new facility.
The Cheese
Muranda Cheese Company was born in late 2007 when the Murray family decided it was time to direct market their products to consumers. Tom hosted cheese tastings between milking hours alongside the Finger Lakes’ growing wine trail. Today, the farm helps to produce over 20 types of cheeses that have been recognized for their superior artisanal quality.
When you visit Muranda Cheese Company you will have an opportunity to not only taste their cheeses, but also to experience the passion that the farm puts into the production of its products.
Making Cheese
To make cheese, we start by using high quality cow’s milk, testing the milk for quality and purity. We then make the milk more uniform by heat treating and pasteurizing the product to ensure safety of the product. After the milk is pasteurized; it is then transferred into our vats to continue the process of cheese making. We add good bacteria (Cultures) and a milk-clotting enzyme known as rennet to the milk and then cuts the congealed result into small pieces, which are then cooked and stirred until the curds are firm enough and are the right temperature. When the whey is drained off, a tightly formed curd is left. We will then handle and salt the curd and press it; or do a natural press with our Italian style cheeses. Every cheese is different in how it is made from start to finish. It only takes a couple hours to actually make the product, however, cheese needs to age to have any sort of flavor on it. That’s why it’s fun!
The Barn
The Murray Family has become overwhelmed with the amount of visitors that have made their way to Muranda. In order to service this growing customer base, the family made a decision to refurbish an old barn on their property. The barn was originally renovated as an event space, but now serves as our tasting room in the summer months.
We rock live music in the barn from Memorial Day- Columbus Day every summer, Saturdays & Sundays from 2-5pm.
The barn is now available to rent after hours (5-9pm) for parties and events. We do not host weddings in the barn anymore.