John and Steve Harrison farmed both independently and jointly with their parents in Sweetwater. Then John began his Philadelphia, Tennessee, operation 15 years ago. The addition of a cheese plant was a natural progression, he said, and one that filled a niche in his operation. Dairying is a demanding business. He didn't want to add another enterprise like that one.
Cheese is very flexible.
We build cheese inventory from Christmas through June, when milk is more plentiful in the South. Cheeses I make in spring are marketable by the holidays, and the big push for regular farm work is from May through September. Though cheese making was essentially a lost art in the area, UT's Tommy Burch had hands-on experience. He managed UT's creamery for many years. Burch and Dr. Clark Brekke, department head in food science and technology , helped Harrison develop protocols and perfect his cheese-making procedures.