When we heard last week that one of Atlanta’s best-known cheese makers, Many Fold Farm was closing their doors in January, we were surprised and more than a little bummed out.  If you’re a big of a fan of Garrett’s Ferry, or their ACS-winning Condor’s Ruin, there’s no doubt you’re as sad as we are.

Many Fold has both pleased our pallets and inspired us as butter makers over the years. Beyond their beautiful brand and the fact that they make great cheese, they’re from HERE. They’ve fostered top notch cheese making – not in Northern California, Wisconsin or Loire Valley – but here in the South. Their team of farmers, cheese makers and technicians will go on to work elsewhere, hopefully close by, sharing their knowledge with other farms and food manufacturers and making their products all the better. Or maybe, we’ll see Many Fold again.

The good news is that there are many Southern (or local if you’re not from the South) food companies that work hard to create food products that we love; we are lucky to have some incredible options right in our backyard:

Honeysuckle Gelato, Bulls Bay SaltworksKing of Pops, Doux South, Proper PepperRed Clay Hot SauceXocolatl to name a few.

These small local Atlanta makers contribute directly to our local economy and are a big piece of what makes us unique as a city and a region. If you love this uniqueness like we do and want more of these companies stick around and thrive, visit farmers’ markets and stores that sell their products, buy their wonderful goods, tell your friends. It makes a difference!