When Jody Somers purchased Dancing Ewe Farm in 2000, it was a run down dairy farm, its neglected pastures riddled with honeysuckle and briars, the land dotted with deteriorating buildings and a few lonely remnants of barbed wire tumbleweeds decorating the fencing. At the time, Jody was pursuing a career in Veterinary Medicine and training sheepdogs as a hobby, when he had an epiphany. He switched gears and decided to make a life changing decision. Jody moved to Tuscany to learn the tradition of making sheep's milk cheeses.
Upon his return in 2003, Jody began by transforming one of the crumbling buildings into a state of the art "caseificio", or cheese house. Stave by stave, fence by fence, and building by building, Dancing Ewe Farm began to take shape.
A phone call from a friend in Tuscany put into motion another sort of life change. Luisa, one of Jody's first new found friends upon arrival in Italy, was contemplating a job as an au pair in the U.S and eager to improve her English. She spent her first three weeks in the States at Jody's farm. It may be cheesy, but perhaps something in the water or a sloppy kiss from Sheepdog Will (or Jody) caused another transformation, this one a bit more personal in nature. Jody and Luisa recognized a bond as more than friends. Now married, they are forging a lifelong partnership.
The couple returns to Tuscany annually to modify recipes, learn new techniques, and to visit with former co-workers, Luisa's extended family, and friends.
Today, Dancing Ewe Farm produces authentic Italian cheeses, crafted exactly the way Italians have for generations. Jody and Luisa are dedicated to preserving the techniques, traditions, and recipes used in producing Italian style cheeses, and are dedicated to spending the extra time and effort it takes to create a superior product.
