Celebrity’s Celebrities

Hello I am Zoila Rauda, and I am a cheese maker at Celebrity Dairy. I grew up in a once small farm town in Canton, Georgia admiring the beautiful black and white cows on my way to school and wishing to one day have one of my own. I think this is where my desire for a farm life first began but didn’t develop until later.

In high school I became interested in bettering the environment and becoming aware of the impact we have on our planet. My passion for a sustainable and healthy lifestyle started a couple years ago when I was still trying to figure which path to take in school.

After living on a farm in Northern California, where we practiced growing our own food and living off the land, I discovered my calling. When I moved back to Georgia after the season was over, I began my search for a school who taught sustainability and organic practices.

I found out about the Sustainable Agriculture program at CCCC and decided to pack my bags and move to Moncure, NC.  Around the end of my first semester, my neighbors who sell their vegetables at the Midtown Raleigh Farmers Market along with Brit and Flemings son, John, mentioned to me that there was an open position in the cheese room at Celebrity Dairy.  I had mentioned to them I was interested in a job on a farm. After a short hiring process I was hired.

As I am about to reach a full year at the dairy I could not be happier. Along with the work in the cheese room I sell our cheese, fudge, and gelato, yogurt, and soap at the Durham Farmers Market and the Pittsboro Market, where I get to see the kind customers I have met and fellow vendors who have become lovely friends.

I am grateful for the opportunity Brit and Fleming gave me and their support and encouragement they give me as a student.

Its hard to predict who will meet you – but the trio in this photo are the most likely.

Fleming (right) is one of your hosts. A studio weaver for 30 years, she is responsible for our award-winning goat cheese. She turned the cheesemaking and dairy responsibility over to Brit and is now focused on the Inn. Somehow she still finds time to work her artistic magic making the inn and its food special.

Brit (center) is your other host, and is especially enthusiastic about showing off the goats. A retired engineer who builds and repairs things, he runs the dairy and on occasion is the evening milker. web page monitoring . If it is after 6:00 PM, you may find him out in the barn doing the evening milking. find a domain Under Fleming’s tutelage, he’s also learned how to cook.

Errant goats – such as Kathryn (pictured), but sometimes the whole herd of 80 animals when a gate is left open. As a kid – here nibbling on our oldest redbud tree in July 1998 – Kathryn would routinely leap over 2-3 fences to come greet visitors.  No one goat since Kathryn has had quite her personality.  She is the namesake of one of our guest rooms.

Cats – with a barn come cats.  Some have graduated from the barn, and manage the approaches to the inn.  Friendly in their feline way, they’ll likely ask you to let them into the Inn.  Please don’t – they are all outside cats.

Last, and probably least, are the free range chickens. Their activity provides us incomparable eggs and endless amusement.