Located just north of Burlington in the Skagit Valley town of Bow, Golden Glen Creamery started up in 2004, marking the beginning of a fantastic endeavor. The Jensen family has been managing the creamery and making cheese since the get-go, and butter since 2006. Vic and Judy Jensen have worked in the dairy industry for their entire married life. Today, Judy is the main cheese maker, and Vic assists her. Their son Doug manages the farm, and his wife Brandy is the farm’s operations manager. Brandy’s brother Ben is in charge of the creamery’s maintenance needs, and he’s also the butter maker. And there are a few more family members on the farm: the dairy cows. The Jensen’s recognize their cows as the center of their livelihood and way of life, and know the importance of treating them humanely and with respect. The cows are all inspected daily to ensure they’re healthy, and their veterinarian checks them every two weeks. The Jensen’s run a tight ship on their 60-acre creamery, and it serves them well.
Golden Glen Creamery has been selling their handcrafted products at the Carnation Farmers Market since the mid 2000s. Their top-notch cheeses and butters are made in small batches on the farm, without the help of machinery. There is no trace of the growth hormone rBST in the Golden Glen Creamery cows, and their artisan goods do not contain preservatives or food coloring either. Brandy refuses to allow anything in Golden Glen Creamery’s products that she wouldn’t want to consume herself, or that she wouldn’t want her kids to have. On Tuesdays, you’ll find Golden Glen Creamery’s butters, cheddars, goudas, mozzarella, feta, parmesan, cheese curds, fromage blanc, and crème fraiche available at their booth. Their signature product is their delectable river cheddar, which contains double the cream, and Golden Glen Creamery is also known for its authentic cheese curds. River cheddar is also one of their best sellers, as are their sun-dried tomato and basil cheddar, and their dill and garlic cheddar.
If you’re ever up near Bow, you can stop by Golden Glen Creamery’s farm store, where you’ll likely see Brandy herself, and Diana, who also works alongside her in the office. They’ll tell you about their successes at a world cheese competition, where Golden Glen Creamery’s cheeses were placed in the Top 10 in several categories. An especially good time to visit is during the annual Skagit Valley Festival of the Farms, where you can visit with many of Skagit Valley’s farmers. Both Brandy and Diana, and the rest of the Golden Glen crew enjoy the people that they get to meet working retail at the store and at farmers markets. Golden Glen Creamery wants to be a part of a larger farmers market success story, and they do so in part by bringing a variety irresistible gourmet, delicious, and unique products to the Carnation Farmers Market.
Visit Golden Glen Creamery online at www.goldenglencreamery.com.