Artisanal Farmhouse Cheese
Goot Essa began in 2001 as a six-family cooperative. Our goal has always been to use our cheesemaking expertise to ensure every generation has the means to stay on the farm.
We work our fields in the traditional way – with horses and manpower instead of machines. Every member contributes to the good of the farm, the family, and in turn, the whole community. Our farms are small, allowing each acre and animal to be cared for with love and respect for nature.
Goot Essa’s small-batch approach to cheesemaking ensures our products are flavorful and unique. We want you to experience food fresh from the farm, processed at the peak of flavor.
In the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect, “Goot Essa” means “good food” or “good eating.” It’s only natural we named our group Goot Essa, because we want to share our love for handcrafted, European-style cheese with you — so you can share it with friends and family.
Our Beliefs
Many aspects of Amish life are unique and rooted in tradition. For example, on Sundays, we do not do business of any kind (other than caring for our animals). Also, Amish people are rarely photographed. Because we are not connected to the electrical grid, we only use computers for business purposes. We believe in making great cheese that connects back to the land, and we look forward to sharing new flavors and experiences with you.
Who’s Who at Goot Essa
Our Management Team
John Esh, owner-operator
Goot Essa is basically a family business with a national reach. Although begun in 2001 as a cooperative of 6 families, the company is now guided by John Esh Jr., assisted by his wife, Anna Mary. Besides managing Goot Essa, John milks 80 cows, farms 115 acres, and serves on board of directors for the local vegetable cooperative and the local Amish school board. The Eshes have 9 children and 6 grandchildren. John’s favorite cheese is Der Gouda Kase.
Anna Mary makes the Goot Essa fudge and apple butter. Besides enjoying her family and her garden, she enjoys developing recipes with Goot Essa cheese. Her favorite cheese is Old German Weissa Kase.
Barry Kroeker, Account Manager/Digital Marketing
Many wholesale customers have their first interaction with Goot Essa through Barry. He brings more than two decades of corporate communications experience to the company. Barry and his wife, Susan, have five children and 9 grandchildren, counting three foster-grands. Barry really enjoys the aged cheeses, including Der Alpen cheese, Mountain Valley Sharp Cheddar (a favorite of his wife's), and Der Vauden Swiss. You will sense Barry's enthusiasm for Goot Essa cheeses when you interact with him over email (his favorite communication medium).
Christian Bone, Quality Assurance Manager
Christian is one of the newest members of the Goot Essa team. Christian is responsible for supervising and auditing cheesemaking operations to ensure quality and customer service standards are met. He will support standardized production practices and collaborate with the production and fulfillment teams to identify areas for improvement. Christian will also help ensure that Goot Essa cheeses meet all food safety regulations. Christian has a college degree in Mathematics from Drexel University and nearly 10 years of industry experience in quality assurance and compliance roles.
Emily Hagenbuch, Lead Cheese Maker
Emily is responsible for day-to-day cheese-making operations at Goot Essa. In her role, she schedules cheesemaking operations, including pasteurizing, culturing, pressing, brining, and aging in the cheese cave. Emily also oversees facilities sanitation and manages her team in accordance with Goot Essa’s Food Safety Plan, applicable regulations, and third-party agreements.
Lacey Glick, Social Media
Lacey and her husband, Mark have 6 children and live in rural Nittany Valley. Her communications role at Goot Essa includes multiple social media channels. While Lacey loves what she does at Goot Essa, above all else she loves being a wife and mother. She also enjoys gardening, raising livestock and feeding the wild birds. Additionally Lacey has also developed a passion for healthy wholesome food, which of course, includes Goot Essa cheese. Her all-time favorite cheese is Old German Wiessa Kase.
Our Cheese Makers
Our cheese makers are dedicated to their craft, which emphasizes preserving our rich cheese traditions and exploring new methods. They make only a few kinds of cheese each so that they can concentrate on ensuring exceptional quality, batch after batch.
Israel Kinsinger, Cheese Maker
Israel is responsible for making our world-famous cheddar cheeses. He is the father of 5 children, 3 of whom are interested in learning to make cheese. A studious man, Israel enjoys reading and tending his animals. His favorite cheese? “I really enjoy a good cheddar,” he says.
Fannie Mae Glick, Cheese Maker
Fannie is from a neighbor dairy farm and possesses an extremely infectious personality. She is also responsible for managing our cheese cave and the rotation of our cheeses. She loves making Felsa Yehr, but she prefers to eat Der Weichen Gehl with a drop of Nittany Valley Honey. Her favorite recipe is pasta with a mixture of Der Alpen Kase and Mountain Valley Sharp Cheddar cheese sauce.
Linda Stoltzfus, Cheese Maker
Linda is another local girl who absolutely loves cheese making and is fascinated by the cheese making process. She lives with her parents, 2 brother and 5 sisters. Her favorite cheese to make is Marn vom Berge, which is also her favorite cheese to eat, but also really likes the taste of Der Alpen Kase.
Lydia Stoltzfus, Cheese Maker
Lydia and Linda are cousins and best of friends. Lydia is from another valley north of our Nittany Valley. Her family runs a vegetable farm and have a commercial green house. Lydia is the only girl in a family of 6. She enjoys making Der Mutterschaf Kase, but really enjoys the buttery taste of Old German Weissa Kase.
Our Farmer Suppliers
Unlike large commercial cheesemakers, Goot Essa works directly with our farm suppliers to ensure the milk we use is as fresh as possible. As a result, our cheeses feature a defining buttery taste that we’re sure you’ll love. This also allows us to pay a higher price for their milk and helps keep the family on the farm.
John and Anna Mary Esh
John and Anna Mary Esh supply all the cow milk for Goot Essa. Their 80 cows are fed a balanced diet in addition to pasture. Cow comfort is a primary motivation on the farm. Cows rest on water beds and have access to sprinklers in hot weather. Each cow is treated as an individual and each one is loved. The Eshes have nine children; four are still at home.
Samuel and Sadie Mae King
Samuel and Sadie Mae and their son, John Andrew, milk 40 sheep near Aaronsburg, PA. Samuel comes from a long line of dairy farmers. Sadie Mae is John and Anna Mary Esh's oldest daughter.
John Andrew has a pet lamp that follows him all around the farm.
Henry and Rhoda Wengerd
Henry, Rhoda and their 4 children operate a small farm in the Sinking Valley of Pennsylvania. They milk a small herd of goats, producing high quality milk for Goot Essa to use in our goat milk cheeses.
