Artisan Cheese, Earned in Gooding, Idaho

We began the way a lot of good things do: with a family, a farm, and the belief that hard work can become something worth sharing.

In 1995, Steve and Stacie Ballard started a 35-acre dairy farm in Gooding, Idaho. Steve was not born into dairy. He learned it the way he learned most things: by working, fixing, and figuring it out.

Steve and his son Travis had both worked with heavy mechanical equipment. They knew how to repair what needed repairing, were not afraid to get their hands dirty, and understood that good work rarely comes with shortcuts.

For years, like many dairies in Idaho’s Magic Valley, the Ballards supplied milk to larger cheese operations. Then, in 2004, they saw an opportunity to do more with the milk they worked so hard to produce.

With Travis helping lead the way, the family began making cheese of their own.

They started with fresh cheese curds. Then came cheddar, Gouda, grilling cheese, feta, Swiss-style cheeses, flavored curds, and a growing lineup of artisan favorites.

What began as a way to add value to the farm became something bigger: a family cheese company built on honest work, local milk, and a love for feeding people well.

Built by Family, Shaped by Community

Ballard Cheese did not grow from a boardroom.

It grew from early mornings, long drives, farmer’s market booths, free samples, and real conversations with customers.

The Boise Farmers Market was one of the first places people got to know the Ballard family and their cheese. Rain or shine, they loaded the truck, made the drive, set up the booth, and spent the day sharing samples and talking with the people who stopped by.

Those conversations mattered. They still do.

They taught us what people loved, what they came back for, and what they expected from the Ballard name. Every cheese had to be good enough for the person standing right in front of us.

That is still the standard.

Good Milk Makes Good Cheese

Great cheese starts long before it reaches the aging room. It starts with the milk.

Our cheese is made with high-quality milk from local dairy farms in Idaho’s Magic Valley, a region with deep agricultural roots and a proud dairy tradition. That milk gives every Ballard cheese its foundation: clean flavor, creamy texture, and honest character.

We also believe good stewardship is part of doing the job right. By investing in solar energy and eliminating propane use, the farm reduced its environmental impact and earned state recognition for Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency.

For us, quality and responsibility belong together.

Take care of the land. Respect the resources behind the work. Make the cheese right. Then let the flavor speak for itself.

Award-Winning, Without the Attitude

Over the years, Ballard cheeses have earned recognition from judges and customers alike.

Idaho Grilling Cheese has received People’s Choice recognition and a first-place award in national cheese competition. Danish Pearl Gouda was named Grand Champion in 2017, celebrated for its rich, creamy flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

We are proud of those awards. But they are not why we make cheese.

We make it for the families who keep it in the fridge, the customers who visit us year after year, and the people who know good food when they taste it.

Today, the Ballard lineup includes fresh cheese curds, naturally aged cheddars, Idaho Grilling Cheese, Gouda-style cheeses, feta, Swiss-style cheeses, and original creations you will not find anywhere else.

Some are familiar. Some are unexpected. Every one has to earn its place.

Still Made the Ballard Way

More than two decades after our first batch, we still believe nothing gets to the table without earning it.

We show up. We do the work. We pay attention to the details. And we give thanks for every opportunity to make something worth sharing.

Made possible by the grace of God. Built by family. Proven in every bite.

The revised version feels more like the Brand Bridge’s “humble expert with a salty mouth and a wink in the eye,” while keeping the story welcoming and family-friendly. It also reinforces Ballard’s core idea that great flavor is earned through integrity, grit, and care rather than hype.