A true pioneer in the farm to table movement, Green Dirt on Oak opened its doors this year– bringing the full cycle of their cheese to life for hungry customers.

In Weston, Missouri just 40 minutes north of downtown Kansas City, you’ll find the source of one of the region's most reputable exports: a sheep’s milk dairy that’s won more than 80 awards, ribbons, and accolades since it began selling cheese 16 years ago.

Situated on 150 acres of unassuming hills of Platte County, MO, Green Dirt Farm was founded in 2002 by Sarah Hoffmann with a simple mission: to create a humane, environmentally sustainable sheep dairy. Since then, Green Dirt has grown into a celebrated producer of award-winning cheeses, a regional culinary tourism destination, a model of regenerative agriculture, and most recently, a must-visit restaurant near the heart of Kansas City.

The ethos of Green Dirt Farm begins with its soil. Grass-fed sheep produce milk with diverse flavor compounds, resulting in cheeses that are both distinctive and deeply rooted in the land's character. To achieve this, the farm practices rotational grazing to ensure that their sheep thrive on nutrient-rich pastures, which not only contributes to the complex flavors of their milk, but also helps to build topsoil, prevent erosion, and sequester carbon. By managing their land carefully, Green Dirt Farm achieves a harmonious balance between environmental stewardship and exceptional dairy production.

Since its first year of commercial production in 2008, Green Dirt Farm has earned awards from prestigious competitions such as the American Cheese Society and the World Championship Cheese Contest. Signature cheeses like Bossa, an aged washed-rind sheep’s milk cheese, and Wooly Rind, a soft-ripened cheese named for the bloom of edible mold on its surface, exemplify the farm’s dedication to craftsmanship and quality.

In 2016, Hoffman and team opened the Creamery Café just half a mile from the historic downtown of Weston, offering visitors a chance to taste and purchase the farm’s cheeses along with other locally inspired fare—including honey, meat, wine, baked goods, pickles, jams, preserves, and other sundries—in a charming setting. Green dirt also offers tours of the cheese-making facilities and hosts a summer dinner series in the farm’s original milking barn just four miles north of the Creamery, deepening their customers’ connections to the land and the food it produces.

Most recently in the East Crossroads, the team opened the doors to Green Dirt on Oak, a modern yet welcoming restaurant located in an expansive nearly 14,000-square-foot building. The menu features cheese-centric dishes alongside locally sourced produce, meats, and beverages, all prepared with an eye toward sustainability. The “Cheese Kitchen Martini,” for instance, uses the brine of Green Dirt’s feta to transform what would have otherwise been food waste into one of the city’s most inventive—and delicious—cocktails.

At Green Dirt on Oak, patrons can expect plenty of full cheese board options, imaginative brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert menus, a full coffee bar, and a well-established drink menu, including local spirits and an impressive wine list. The dinner menu is predictably lamb-forward, but they also partner with local farms for other protein options, while allowing their cheese to shine through in each dish.

As Green Dirt Farm continues to grow, its founding principles of sustainability, animal welfare, and support for local farmers remain at the forefront of everything they produce. Whether you’re enjoying a cheese board at the Creamery, dining at Green Dirt on Oak, buying its products online, or purchasing it in store, its cheeses leave you with deeper appreciation for the flavors of Missouri—and the care that goes into producing them.

To learn more, visit Green Dirt Farm’s website.