Surfing Goat Dairy in Upcountry Maui

Looking for a new twist in their lives, the Kafsacks decided 18 years ago to move to Hawaii and practice the art of gourmet cheese production, a far cry from their previous occupations of leading a software company or teaching high school German. While Thomas went to work on the financial planning, while Eva set out to learn the craft and secrets of cheese-making from Europe’s best dairies; interning at and visiting dairies throughout Germany, Austria, and France allowed her to develop a mental image of the type of dairy that she wanted to run and the type of cheeses they  wanted to produce. An image that the two of them made a reality over the past 15 years.

The Surfing Goat Dairy makes fresh Chevre and the flavors run the gamut from “Udderly Delicious” (plain) to exotic varieties like “Mandalay” (apple bananas and curry) and Perigord (black truffle shavings from Perigord). The Dairy also produces several soft cheeses, including ones ripened in wax, in olive oil with different spices, along with salt water brine-ripened feta cheese. The Kafsacks started out selling their cheeses at local farmers markets, but their products were soon picked up by a variety of retail locations, varying from wine stores to delis to locally owned grocery stores. Quickly thereafter, many of Maui’s gourmet restaurants voiced interest in using the Surfing Goat Dairy cheese on their menus.  It can now be found crumbled on salads, on pizzas, stuffed inside ravioli, or simply making an appearance on a dessert cheese platter in almost every restaurant and hotel on Maui along with several locations on the other islands as well as on the mainland.  In the last few years they have added “Oh My”… goat Cheese Truffles to their product line, and they are the only commercial facility making these in the Nation.

At first the Kafsacks found that milking their goats only once a day was more than adequate to cover the demand for their cheeses, however as word spread it became apparent that after the next dry period they would have to switch to milking their does at night, as well as in the morning. Over the last few years they have selected several kids to keep to expand their herd by a significant amount. Their herd currently consists of a conglomeration of Saanens, Alpines and La Manchas. Although the herd has grown over the years, each goat still has their own name and the milking staff know them all.  They were also the first Certified Humane farm in the state of Hawaii.

Visiting the award winning Surfing Goat Dairy is a fun and unique Maui AgTourism experience for the whole family. Maui’s only “State of the Art ”, working goat dairy is a top AgTourism destination. Review Surfing Goat Dairy on TripAdvisor. The Cheese and Specialty Shop features the Dairy’s over 30 different cheeses including 18 National Award Winners. These cheeses are always available for tasting and purchase along with light snacks & beverages. Inexpensive “Casual Tours” of the operation are offered daily. ($8 for kids $12 adults) You don’t need any reservations, just stop by. “Evening Chores & Milking Tours” are Mon – Sat at 3:15pm ($14 for kids $17 for adults) Reservations Recommended “Grand Dairy Tours”, ($28/pp) Every Saturday at 9am (call for dates) A 2-hour experience. Feed and milk a goat, see the cheese making process. Then sample most of the cheeses produced at the Dairy. Tours

Omaopio Road, Kula  |   808.878.2870  | Tours Monday–Saturday 10:00am–3:30pm
Sunday 10:00am–1:00pm  |  Monday-Saturday 9:00am–5:00pm Sunday 9:00am–2:00pm

http://surfinggoatdairy.com/index.html