Local and Sustainable: Ferndale Farmstead, Artisan Cheesemaker

Ferndale Farmstead, the supplier of our fresh Mozzarella and kasseri, not only produces some of the best cheese in the Pacific Northwest but also does so in an environmentally sustainable and ecologically beneficial manner. 

When we first opened our doors 45 years ago, one of the things that set us apart was the ingredients we used on our pizza. The freshness and quality of local artisan producers made the choice easy. Now, with 26 stores and much higher volumes, we still source locally. And the more sustainable the producer, the better. Ferndale Farmstead is a perfect example, producing Italian-style heritage cheeses, including our fresh mozzarella and kasseri cheese. 

“Ferndale Farmstead makes great cheese,” says Matt Galvin, Pagliacci’s co-owner. “I wasn’t worried about the quality, but our Pagliaccio Salad is so popular that we go through about 50 large wheels a week. Daniel worked with us to develop an aged cheese with the flavor profile we were looking for. The flavor and texture are perfect, our customers love it, and we’re proud to support a local cheesemaker.” 

In 2009, the Wavrins bought a farm in Ferndale, Whatcom County, to start their cheesemaking operations. Daniel Wavrin, inspired by Italian cheesemaking traditions and guided by his mentor, Italian cheesemaker Raffaele Mascolo, transformed the farm into a state-of-the-art facility. The Bellingham-area farm spans 900 acres and is home to 750 cows. They’re a seed-to-cheese farm, making the cheese where the cows live and graze. 

“Our philosophy for sustainability can be summed up as seed to cheese, which means we plant the seed of grass in the soil,” says Daniel. “We harvest that grass, bring it to the cows, until the time they’re ready to milk. We harvest that milk, make it into cheese in the creamery which is on site. It’s totally sustainable, and totally regenerative — for the field, for the community, for the animals, and for the people that are involved in making the cheese.” 

Kasseri is a semi-aged, crumbly cheese, and a central ingredient in our Pagliaccio Salad. The cheese is salty with the piquancy of a long-aged provolone. Every wheel is aged for at least one month before it arrives at Pagliacci. 

Their fresh mozzarella, or Fior di Latte, is a fresh, whole milk mozzarella with a delicate flavor and texture. They make it the old-fashioned way using Italian cultures instead of vinegar, to give you the full mozzarella flavor this well-known cheese deserves. We feature it on our Margherita, one of our most popular pizzas, as well as our Funghi Salsiccia, Roman Holiday, Verdura Primo, and many of our seasonal pizzas. 

“We’re so proud to represent Italian artisan cheeses in the PNW region and forge partnerships where local animals, local farm families, and local cheesemaking families are able to find community,” says Daniel. “Cheese is the vessel with which we enrich our local communities. Every slice you buy from Pagliacci is you making the choice with your dollars to support local.” 

Watch this video to learn more about Ferndale Farmstead!