Finding Myself at Lost Peacock Creamery

“Don’t worry if you’re making waves simply by being yourself, the moon does it all the time.” That’s the phrase on the sign that welcomed me to Lost Peacock Creamery recently. It was a fresh reminder of how wonderful it is to find our own special paths, and that’s exactly what Rachael and Matt, the owners of Lost Peacock Creamery, are doing.

It’s hard to imagine a place more perfect than Lost Peacock Creamery. I drove up the driveway, welcomed by a flock of happy chickens and a friendly farm pup roaming freely among the main house and farm buildings. Matt met me, and we immediately started the tour; he was eager to show us the beauty that is his and Rachael’s farm (and I eager to see it). We walked down the path to the pigs. Matt fed them a snack of spent grain the farm gets from a local brewery, explaining to me that it’s high in nutrients and so great for the pigs even though the pigs prefer to be fed whey from the goats (a by-product of the cheese making process). I gushed over the piglets that were running around and could have spent the next hour playing with them but there was so much to see.

We moved on to a large field with two horses – one large, one tiny.  Matt explained that Rachael had just gotten Trouble and couldn’t be happier. (He also said they were in the process of changing his name, but considering that he had just bucked Rachael off the day before, Trouble may actually fit fairly well.) I shared my stories of being bucked off horses (I used to ride back in Kentucky), we laughed and moved on.

Goats! We walked up to the area where the goats hang out (and where the goat yoga takes place, led by Matt), and they quickly ran over to us – all wanting attention (and possibly a nibble.) Seriously, these were the nicest goats I’ve ever come across. And, they were so happy! Matt talked about them as old friends, and I petted them while trying to take some photos (slightly unsuccessfully).

Rachael came out to meet us, and we went into the event space that they’re finishing up. It’d be the perfect spot for a farm-to-table dinner, a gorgeous wedding, or even prom. Rachael explained how she and Matt love having people on their farm (they currently host two WOOFers – Nora, who sells at QAFM, is one of them) and are excited about the possibility of this event space.

Then, I got to see where the magic happens – the creamery. We started in the cheese cave, where Matt explained to me the process of aging the cheese, picking up and inspecting the wheels as we speak. We then moved on to the cheese making room. Bags of chevre hung on one side of the room, soon ready to be brought to market. Let me just say that there are few things I love more in the world than the scent of goat’s milk (because it smells just like it tastes – and it’s one of my favorite things to eat), and there are few places where you can be completely enveloped in the scent of goat’s milk like you can be in a cheese making facility. I was in heaven.

We then moved to the milking room. Matt showed me where the goats came in, were fed some delicious grain (a custom mix that he and Rachael make – with a lot of alfalfa, which they feel makes the milk taste better, and as a fan of their cheese, I agree).

We left the creamery to make a quick visit to the bucks, all three being super sweet (and not as smelly as they’re rumored to be). We then took a short tour around their family garden, to see where they store their hay, and then Matt showed me their brand new (to them) tractor.

It’s the middle of the summer, and you’re always busy when you’re a farmer, so although I could have easily stayed there all day (or forever, really), it was time to go. With arms full of goat cheese and quail eggs (did I mention they have quail?!), I drove back down the driveway, stopping to grab a few more photos of pigs and quail and left this perfect little slice of heaven.

If you’re ever in Olympia and want to stop at an amazing farm for some goat yoga or if you’re planning a special event, then Lost Peacock is the place. You can find their goat cheese and quail eggs at QAFM every week. Their pork is available through their website.

How did they get their name? There are peacocks freely roaming, adding beautiful color to an already colorful place.