My Story

My name is Grace Mooney, and I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. I began working with and selling goat milk cheese with Anne Topham at Fantome Farm at the Madison Downtown Farmers Market in 2002. I quickly became passionate about artisanal cheese production, and wanted to learn much more. In 2012, I applied for a job at Fromagination, a remarkable local cheese store in downtown Madison. I have continued to work and learn at Fromagination throughout the years, and Ken Monteleone, the owner of Fromagination, has inspired and supported me in my love of all things cheese, as Annie Topham continues to mentor me in the cheese world.

In the summer of 2013, I found an internship working on a farm called Chèvrerie de la Baie in Bretagne, France. I had the opportunity to learn about and participate in their goat milk cheese production, while the owner, Marisa Thomas, focused her energy on their new venture; buffalo mozzarella. Working at the Chevrerie de la Baie solidified my love for cheesemaking, but also showed me that I had a lot to learn. Ever since then I have been traveling from farm to farm, learning about artisanal cheese production, animal care and milking, and environmentally sustainable and humane farm practices, as well as dabbling in more diversified farming. My goal is to gain a wide range of experiences and a base of knowledge that will provide the foundation for my own farm. At the same time, I want to engage in meaningful conversations with people around the world about the most sustainable, humane ways to produce delicious and healthy food and give people of every background access to these products.