Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse

Nina and Jonathan White met in Greenwich Village where they were attracted to each other because, among other things, they both made their own yogurt and bread. Nina, the daughter of two New York City school teachers, remembers her favorite book growing up, “If You Lived In Colonial Times”, and was making bread by the age of eight. Jonathan made bread with the babysitter by the time he was three.

Since 2002 the Whites and their family have been baking bread in a large wood-fired hearth oven that they built at Bobolink, their Hunterdon County farm in Milford. The single-chamber retained-heat oven, the sort that has been in use since ancient times, cranks out up to five-hundred loaves of hand-made Artisanal breads from organic stone ground flour each day, most of which are sold in the small shop next to the bakery. Try cranberry walnut, a sturdy loaf that's great for lunch, or Rosemary Epi ­ a fragrant, long loaf shaped like a shaft of wheat.

The loaves go well with a large assortment of aged cheeses, also manufactured on site by the Whites. The cheeses are “solar-powered”, made from milk drawn from a herd of one-hundred grass-fed cows that graze the fields at Bobolink. "Tasting our cheeses is kind of like tasting a wine. First you get one flavor, then other tones come in," says Nina. Among them are "Frolic," a firm, mild Medieval farmstead cheese and a cheddar that develops flavor while ageing in an artificial cave.

boblink cow

The cheeses are all inventions of Jonathan. "He just sees what the milk is saying on any day. He sees the seasonality of the milk to create something special." Fundamental to White’s approach is his confidence in a free-grazing herd of instinctive, intelligent animals with naturally fortified immune systems; a group that has “learned to be cows again.”

At Bobolink, one can also buy pasture-raised beef. The animals enjoy good, clean living outdoors without feed—just grass. "The meat is wonderfully tasty and slaughtered humanely," says Nina. "We're working on the genetics of our herd so they can live outside, take care of their young and give birth without assistance."

Bobolink Dairy offers classes in cheese-making and bread-making with lots of testing. Internships of various terms are also possible for the serious artisan, including all aspects of grass-based milk production, cheesemaking, ripening room operations, baking, and direct marketing. The farm also offers tours on weekends.

You can buy delicious Bobolink products at the farm store or take a farm tour at 369 Stamets Road in Milford, NJ. You can also purchase on-line at their website. You might also catch them at a farm market locally or in New York City.

Upcoming events

  • June 11 • DAVID AMRAM JAM & FARM-TO-FORK BBQ. Spend the afternoon on the lawn of our farmhouse, listening to great music and enjoying great food. David will bring a group of friends to entertain and enlighten us on the farmhouse lawn, as tribute to Bobolink, the folks who named a cheese after him. As with all of our music shows, we'll be selling a farm-to-fork picnic to enjoy, made with ingredients sourced from our farm and our local food shed. 3 - 6:30pm. $15, resv requested.
  • July 2 • GITAN MAGIQUE. Steeped in the 1930s French jazz of Django Rienhart and Stephan Grapelli, but with contemporary attitude, Gitan Magique performs unique arrangements of well known jazz and classical repertoire as well as engaging original works. Enjoy the farm's delicious foods which are available for purchase. Seating will be on the farmhouse lawn, with reservations limited in order to observe social distance guidelines. Family friendly, BYOB. No dogs please. 4 - 6:30pm. $15 per person, resv essential.
  • July 8 • ANNIE AND THE NATURAL WONDER BAND. 4 - 6:30pm. $10 per person, resv essential.
  • August 6 • SUPERNOVA. Festival Jazz: classic and modern jazz with a jam vibe, from Chick Corea, Pat Methany, and John Scofield to classic 60s funky jazz like Eddie Henderson and Wes Montgomery. 4 - 6:30pm. $15 per person, resv essential.
  • Nearby accommodations and attractions

    • Historic Hunterdon Taverns
    • Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse
    • Artisanal cheeses, wood fired breads, 100% grass-fed beef, whey fed pork, and suckled veal, 100% grass-fed ice cream, pasta made with Emmer wheat and our own free-range eggs, and pesto made with our own basil! Bread and cheesemaking workshops are held on the working farm as well as weekend tours and occasional concerts.

      369 Stamets Road, Milford 08848, 908/86GRASS

    • Decoys and Wildlife Gallery
    • This wildlife art gallery contains the area?s largest selection of hand carved decoys, representing carvers across the US, as well as an extensive collection of original paintings by some of the nation's most renowned artists.

      55 Bridge St., Frenchtown 08825, 908/996-6501

    • Made To Order
    • Delightful fantasies beyond words! Gold, Platinum & Silver Jewelry, Wildlife Photos, Crystal, Lighthouses. Perfume Bottles, Santas, Witches Balls, Oil Lamps, Paperweights, Chimes, Art Glass, Wishing Stars. Now featuring Pandora Jewelry.

      44 Main St., Clinton 08809, 908/735-4244

    • Bouman Stickey Farmstead
    • 114 Dreahook Road, Stanton 08885, 908/236-2327

    More...

    This story was first published: Spring, 2010