Our Story
Roots & Craft
Back Forty Artisan Cheese & Farmstead, located along the Canadian Mississippi in North Frontenac, traces its roots to a small farmstead cheese operation started in Lanark in 2000. In 2012, we took over the farm and its micro-dairy, stepping into the world of farming and cheesemaking with a deep respect for the craft and a determination to learn it well.
The name Back Forty reflects our connection to the land — the “back forty” is the place where care, patience, and creativity come together to grow something extraordinary.
Those early years were spent working hard to understand farm life, refining the cheeses, and slowly introducing new varieties of our own. As the cheeses gained recognition and demand grew, it became clear that the small Lanark farm could no longer support the vision we were building.
Our Work Today
In 2015, we moved to our current farm in North Frontenac to fully realize our vision — a place where land, animals, craft, and hospitality come together.
We are a family-run farm and creamery rooted in patience, hard work, and respect for traditional methods. Nothing is rushed, and nothing is made simply for volume. Quality always comes first.
Our work today includes:
Small-batch artisan sheep milk cheeses made using traditional techniques
Farm-raised meats for our bistro and farmgate sales
A large seasonal garden that feeds both our family and the kitchen
A heritage cider orchard maintained for craft cider, shared with friends and our community
Welcoming guests who want to experience real food, farming, and life in the countryside
Our daughter Beatrix is a big part of life here. She learns alongside us, helping in the garden, caring for animals, and growing up surrounded by the land.
Over the years, we’ve welcomed visitors, learners, and travellers from around the world — people drawn to slower food, meaningful work, and the quiet pace of rural life.
What we are building here is more than a business; it’s our life’s work — a living piece of art shaped by land, animals, seasons, and the people who gather here.
Our Farm Partners
Every wheel of Back Forty cheese is made by hand on our farm, in small batches, using milk from a single flock of sheep. Back Forty grew from a small farmstead dairy that first kept Icelandic milk sheep — a natural choice for cheesemaking due to the richness and nutrient density of their milk.
Over the years, we have built strong partnerships with a few select, family-run farms who share our commitment to animal welfare and land stewardship. Today, these collaborations allow our partner farmers to focus on producing exceptional raw milk, while we focus on transforming it into our sheep milk cheeses. Although we continue to raise heritage lamb on our farm, the milk we use now comes primarily from these trusted partners, ensuring the highest quality and a true connection to the land.
Our Vision for the New Farm Begins to Take Shape
Archival footage from the years when the creamery, wood-fired kitchen, and future bistro were beginning to come together.
Filmed over five years ago, these videos capture a pivotal moment as the new farm, creamery, and bistro came to life — a glimpse behind the scenes of the vision that continues to shape Back Forty today.
Our very first bistro season, where we learned, experimented, and grew into the experience we offer today.