Goot Essa Cheese: Q & A and Gift Basket Giveaway
Goot Essa is an Amish cheese company based in central Pennsylvania, in business since 2001. They make a wide variety of cheeses (traditional cow dairy, goat, sheep) using milk from Amish farms.
Founder John Esh shares more about Goot Essa and their cheeses in today’s Q & A. We first heard from John in a 2020 interview. I also did a little review of a Goot Essa gift basket I ordered here.
But before we get to the Q & A, we’ve got a cheese gift basket giveaway for you (winner drawn tomorrow – Wednesday, December 14).
Cheese Basket Giveaway
In appreciation to Goot Essa & Amish America readers, I’m giving away a gift basket – “Cheese Lover’s Dream” – which you can see below.
Here’s what it contains:
Cheeses:
- 8 oz. Mountain Valley Sharp Cheddar
- 8 oz. Old German Weissa Kase
- 6 oz. Der Weichen Gehl
Condiments:
- 4 oz. Sweet & Spicy Dipping Mustard
- 1.5 oz. Autumn Dawn Apple Butter
- 1.5 oz. Nittany Valley Pure Honey
Container: 9 x 6.5 red gift box
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. I’ll draw and post the winner here tomorrow (Wednesday Dec. 14). Giveaway is limited to US addresses only.
Q & A with John Esh of Goot Essa Cheese
Amish America: Some people might be surprised to find an Amish cheese company selling over the internet. How did you start selling cheeses online, and what has that experience been like?
John Esh of Goot Essa: It was during the early part of the pandemic that we had most of our restaurants quit ordering from us because of the shutdown. We saw the need to be able to move some product and decided to try the online market.
We were hoping to reach consumers who wanted to buy gourmet cheeses online instead of going out to the grocery stores. It started out slow until we had a food critic from the Philadelphia Inquirer write a story about using technology to maintain old world values. This story was printed in late September and then a lot of the customers came back during the holiday season to her gift assortments.
Amish America: Why is the company called Goot Essa? Who chose the name?
John Esh: Goot Essa means good food in Pennsylvania Dutch. We were looking for a memorable name that also touched a bit about our Amish heritage.
You work with Amish farmers – what does a typical Amish dairy in your area look like?
We work with five different farm families for our milk supply. The three sheep farms supply milk. One farms milks about 40 sheep and two of them milk 25 sheep. The goat farm milks about 60 goats.
My family has the cows, and we milk about 65 cows. It generally is a family effort in our herd. Our sons: John, Jonas, Jacob, and Melvin all help me with the milking at some level depending on the schedule of what else is going on. During haymaking our two oldest grandsons Jake Allen and Arlan help with the milking as well.
Generally, the family gets up around 4:30 AM, does the milking, eats breakfast and then works in the cheese shop most of the day, especially this time of year with all the gift assortments that we make. We then milk again around 4:30 PM and are done with the chores around 6:30, have dinner, and then we like to spend some time together as a family relaxing and sharing the news of the day.
Why do Amish people feel farming is a good lifestyle?
We feel it is very important to work side by side with our children as they are growing up and learning by doing hands-on work. Also, we feel it helps them learn to be responsible. It also allows us to have three meals per day with the family around the table.
What makes your cheeses stand out?
Handmade gourmet cheeses require a lot of effort and attention to detail to make. There are no short cuts and it also requires a good quality control person. Our daughter Sadie May does an excellent job leading this team. Also aging cheese is in a cave is quite unique here in Pennsylvania.
What is the most unusual or surprising cheese in your offering?
The goat bloomy me rind Marn Vom Berge Kase is it very tasty and quite versatile great with club crackers and a bit of strawberry cranberry preserves, it also makes an excellent wine cheese, and is good on salads and burgers.
Which are the most popular cheeses?
Mountain Valley Sharp Cheddar, Woodsmoked cheddar and Old German Weissa Kase.
What is in the gift baskets?
A mixture of cheeses, mustards, jellies, fudges, beef sticks, ham, prosciutto, and crackers.
Do people visit Goot Essa, and what is that experience like?
Yes. They come to do a sampling and tour cheese caves. Many people comment that they’ve never seen a cheese cave in person.
Thanks to John for answering these questions. You can check out Goot Essa’s wide assortment of gift baskets and order here. They also have a subscription program if you’d like to get a monthly shipment of fine cheeses.
Love these enails
Such great information!! Thanks for taking the time to research and do this.
We love cheese
I think I drove past this farm a few months ago, and it looked so intriguing. I’d love to try their cheese.
Live near Amish in Ulysses Pa
Have many Amish friends and love your website
Thank you Phyllis! I’ve never visited that area, so many neat Amish areas in PA
My husband love cheese
Thank you for sharing this information. My husband loves cheese, I will have to stop and pick some up the next time I am in the area.
would love to try
Would love to try these Amish cheeses seems to be the perfect gift!
Cheese basket
I have thought many times of trying but this time of year there are MANY offering this type of product at reduced pricing.
Would love to try some.
I have never purchased home-made cheese. I bet it is mouth watering. Next time I am in PA I am going to stop & purchase some. I love reading your articles.
Would love to try this!
The cheese is making my mouth water just seeing the photo and reading about the production by the Amish which to me says its the best right there. I have never had Amish cheese and would love to try it !! Thanks for this article and giveaway.
Friend (Quaker) of Amish friends - for music, merriment and family visits
I’m a book reviewer who has written reviews of several recent Amish/Mennonite authored/themed books – including Comfort Baking, All Our Griefs, and Expecting Emmanuel – which are seen on Amazon, Goodreads and Book Reporter. I worked for Mennonite Central Committee in Kenya and developed deep respect for their sincere beliefs and their work for others. My hubby is a musician who has performed with an Indiana Amish family band – they have adopted us or we have adopted them, not sure which – so we’ve had lots of wholesome, delicious meals at their home. Hubby is on a keto diet and would love those cheeses (and I can eat the crackers and jellies to help him avoid temptation!).
More Questions
I’m really pleased to hear about small, family businesses learning how to survive economically by reinventing the business, in this case by having specialty (or gourmet) foods. Congrats to John & family for being creative and flexible.
How much does this food business (or any cheese) business get inspected by a health department?
How much does John and his family do the online technology or is that done by an English person/group?
Thanks, Jim
Goot Essa Cheese: Q & A and Gift Basket Giveaway
Love the cheeses sold by our local Amish store. Sure would look forward to trying your products.
Good Cheese I am sure!
Just the picture makes me mouth water, I would love to try this cheese. I enjoyed reading about it too! Have never had Amish cheese but think its good based on its origin alone. Thanks for telling us & the offer too.
Very Interesting...........
Very interesting info… Thank you for the email..
Love our twice a year visit to the Amish area and always stock up on your wonderful and delicious products before heading home.. would loooooooove to win this basket!…
Goot Essa
I’ve been a lifetime fan of small batch cheese & occasionally make my own mozzarella. I’d love to win such a delicious looking basket.
Thanks for such an interesting article, Erik!
Goot Essa Cheese
Love a good cheese and Amish food in general. Love your articles and video’s and look forward to them.
Cheese
The articles you do are very informative I live in upstate NY we are getting a lot of Amish around here and your articles are helping me navigate thru there community as I like to call them friend so thank you for your articles
Anxious to try your cheeses
I live near the large Cashton,WI Amish community, have many wonderful friends in the community. My favorite cheeses come from a creamery supplied by Amish farms and I would love to taste how yours compare.
I wish my community had a cheese maker.
I live in an Amish area I wish we had a good cheese maker.
Tasty treats
Our family loves cheeses of all sorts and there seems to be a lot of very interesting choices here in the basket giveaway. Would love to try them.
Love your blog! It’s so informing and interesting.
That cheese looks mighty fine too.
Looks So Yummy!
I’d love to tour the cheese cave, and buy some of the goot essa cheeses in person some day.
giveaway
Love trying new cheeses.
Very Interesting!
We have a small Amish community here in Northern Michigan near me. I have always enjoyed learning more about your way of life. Thank you for sharing the information about your products and your cave looks very interesting!
CHEESE IS ON MY LIST
Love all this information and would give this gift basket a good farm home where we raise Berkshire pigs.
Remember with fondness our early vacations to Amish areas, especially the baked goods, cheeses and craftsmanship.
This would be fun to win. You should come visit Clover Hill Dairy in So MD. It is our local cheesehouse. Great Amish made cheese, including some Latin cheese varieties.
A very interesting business. I am so happy for their success. The gift basket looks delicious, and would make my Christmas very merry, indeed.
Wonderful family heritage
Thanks for another enjoyable peak into the lifestyle of our Amish neighbors. Love this quote especially:
“ We feel it is very important to work side by side with our children as they are growing up and learning by doing hands-on work. Also, we feel it helps them learn to be responsible. It also allows us to have three meals per day with the family around the table.”
Many of the problems in our country (and world) could be solved by adopting these ideals. Most of us can’t work with our kids all day, but we could have home projects together, and family meals are a gift to every member of every family.
Love my cheese!
Being from Wisconsin, I consider myself a connoisseur of cheese. It would be so great to try cheese made by the Amish.
Looks delicious!
Thanks for continuing to do posts that focus on plain businesses! It’s fascinating to see how many there are. Always enjoy learning something new through the posts.
Amish Cheesemakers
I know that there are a lot of Amish dairy farmers (and used to be a lot more), but how many cheesemakers are there? How many dairy families have taken it to the next level, and started to make and market cheese?
Goot Essa Cheese
I have gotten items from them simply AMAZING!!!!!!!
Gratitude for your work & gifts
Thank you for your continuing good work & words regarding the Amish. I would be honored to receive the gift of cheese from Goot Essa Cheese. It would be delightful to share with my family at Christmas. Thank you, Erik
We love cheese
My husband and I have never had any of this cheese and would love to try it.
Interesting Article
I have never tried the Der Weichen Gehl cheese looks good though. I like the fact that the cheeses are caved aged.
Thank you for a chance to win.
We visited Lancaster county this past fall and hope to go back again this spring. Must visit spots are bird in hand market and peaceful valley furniture. I came home with a new rocking chair.
Always a good read
Amish America is always a good read. Thank you for your comments and insights.
Lovely basket
Thank you doing this as the cheese basket looks delightful!
Goot Essa Cheese
I would love to try Goot Essa cheese and maybe visit their business sometime. The gift basket looks amazing. Thank you for doing this giveaway!
Enjoying the newsletter and all the information and would love to win the cheese basket!!!!!
Thank you for always providing us with the best information about the Amish culture.
I plan on going to Holmes County during the week after Christmas!
Best Day Ever!
I’m envisioning the best day ever, digging into a delicious basket of Amish cheese while reading Amishamerica.com!
Thank you Erik!
Give away
Our family would love to serve your generous offer of cheese at our family holiday gathering. This is a special year for us. My husband just in the past week returned home after a hospital stay on life support in Intensive Care. Praise the lord for his healing. Our youngest son was born on Christmas Day, what a blessing . Our father , grandfather, great grandfather and husband is turning 90 years old ‼️ . We are so joyful to celebrate all our blessings. We thank you in advance for considering us and wish you a safe and pleasant holiday
Family Cheeses
It’s always good to see that families can still work together and enjoy doing what they are doing too. The old age cheese in a cave intrigues me. Thanks for the chance of winning a delightful cheese basket!
This looks awesome
I would love to try your cheese; it looks so good
Love to read your emails and watch your videos. I have often considered ordering from Goot Essa. Count me in for the cheese basket drawing ! Look forward to your next video, Erik.
You Put All My Favorite Things in One Basket
What a treasure this would be to savor around a fire on a cold winter evening.
Yes please!
Looks yummy!
New taste
Would love to taste your cheeses
Your cheese is better than any store..
I have ordered your cheese before after reading about it in Amish America. I wasn’t a big cheese eater, but after having your’s, it makes you a cheese lover..Better than any sold in the market..I am hoping to visit your cheese cave in the near future..Thank you
Alberta
I need to try this!
I love cheese. I LOVE Amish made cheeses so much! I had my first taste of small batch Goat cheese this summer and I’m hooked already! Would love to try Goot Essa. It sounds divine! . Thank you!!