About Us
Engel Farms Artisan Farmstead Cheeses is dedicated to using the finest ingredients, ensuring an unforgettable culinary experience for cheese lovers. The warm ambiance of our farmstead, surrounded by picturesque landscapes, offers the perfect setting to savor our premium, freshly made cheeses.
Meet The Engels
Valerie Engel, Cheesemaker
Hi! My name is Valerie Engel, and I live in rural Perkins, OK. Who would have thought that a trip to New England Cheesemaking in Massachusetts in 2019 would have changed me so. The cheese bug hit me hard after making several soft and one semi-hard cheese in a class there. I actually asked for a cow for Christmas! I was still working full time, so I was merely “honing the craft” until retirement in 2022 at which time the cheesemaking became an obsession. I have made several hundred cheeses from soft (e.g., cream cheese, ricotta & Boursin) to semi-hard (like Colby, Farmstead Cheddar, and Gouda) to hard cheeses (Parmesan and cheddar). I’ve made Brie, Camembert, and several blue cheeses as well, all with great success. I taught community college courses for over a decade (not cheesemaking), and the teaching passion has followed me as well. I LOVE teaching future cheesemakers or curious onlookers on my farm.
Randy Engel, Taste Tester
Randy is an avid gardener, rancher, cow milker extraordinaire (by hand!), and keeper of the 20 acres at Engel Farms. He happily taste-tests everything that comes out of Valerie's kitchen and will proudly show off his garden and animals to any interested persons!