Cheese travel
Cheese in New Jersey
New Jersey has three cheese farms worth a drive. Valley Shepherd Creamery in Long Valley ages its cheese in a cave dug 26 feet under a hill and runs spring lamb tours and fall wagon rides to the cave. Cherry Grove Farm near Princeton is open daily, with a window onto the cheesemakers and mozzarella classes. And Jersey Girl Cheese makes Italian cheeses at a farm in Branchville with its own hillside cave.
Factories and Dairies to Visit
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North Jersey has the hills and the caves. Valley Shepherd, on 120 acres in Morris County within an hour of New York City, makes and ages its cheeses on the farm and runs shops in Long Valley, Summit and Madison. Further north in Sussex County, Jersey Girl Cheese makes mozzarella, caciocavallo, scamorza and other southern Italian cheeses with milk from grass-fed Jersey cows at Hillcrest Orchard and Dairy in Branchville, and ages them in a cave dug into the hillside.
Central Jersey has Cherry Grove Farm, a dairy on nearly 500 acres of preserved farmland in Lawrenceville, just off Route 295 and a short drive from Princeton. It is the easiest visit in the state: open every day, with goats to pet, a farm store and a picnic garden.
When to Go
Spring for lambs at Valley Shepherd, fall for the wagon rides to its cave. Cherry Grove and the farm shops are open all year. Check Cherry Grove's class calendar ahead of time, as popular classes sell out.
Farm Stores and Shops
| Place | Town | What you can do | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey Girl Cheese farm store | Branchville | Farm store at 2 Davis Road with fresh and cave-aged Italian cheeses | Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun 10am to 5pm; Tue and Thu 1pm to 4pm |
| Jersey Girl Cheese shop | Rockaway | Cheese shop at 179 East Main Street | Thu and Fri 10:30am to 4:30pm, Sat 9am to 3pm, Sun 10am to 3pm |
| Valley Shepherd shops | Summit and Madison | Cheese shops selling the creamery's cheeses | Six days a week |
Where to Stay in New Jersey
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Questions People Ask
Can you tour a cheese cave in New Jersey?
Yes. Valley Shepherd Creamery in Long Valley runs fall wagon rides through its pastures to its cheese cave, sold online; 2026 tickets started at $9.
Where can you watch cheese being made in New Jersey?
At Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville, where you can often see the cheesemaking team through a large window in the farm store.