Nettle Meadow
Nettle Meadow is a privately held, Adirondack-based artisan cheesemaker producing 40+ award-winning goat, sheep, and cow milk cheeses — including the trademarked Kunik — via an original Thurman farm and a 2022 Lake Luzerne production facility, restaurant, and retail site, serving direct visitors, hospitality buyers, and wholesale specialty retailers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersWarrensburg, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Nettle Meadow does
Nettle Meadow (legal entity Nettle Meadow Farm) is a privately held, founder-owned artisan cheesemaker founded in 1990 in Thurman, New York, in the Adirondack region between Gore Mountain/North Creek and Warrensburg. It produces more than 40 award-winning cheeses from local cow, goat, and sheep milk, with trademarked Kunik (a triple-crème goat cheese blended with Jersey cream) as its flagship, alongside named varieties such as Truffle Kunik, Adironjack (with local applejack brandy), Sugar Loaf, Three Sisters, and Honey Lavender Fromage Frais. Production uses traditional artisan methods; a newly opened state-of-the-art facility in 2022 at the company's second site, The Hitching Post in Lake Luzerne, delivers roughly 8x the production capacity of the original Thurman creamery.
The company runs two physical locations: the Kemp Animal Sanctuary and original farm/creamery at 484 South Johnsburg Road in Thurman, and The Hitching Post at 1256 Lake Avenue in Lake Luzerne, which combines the production plant with a retail shop, tasting room, and a Saturday–Sunday restaurant and tavern featuring cheese boards, macaroni and cheese made with Kunik, and local craft beer and wine. It serves three primary customer segments — direct consumers (farm visitors and on-site retail/food service), restaurant/hospitality buyers, and wholesale/retail buyers such as Saxelby Cheesemongers and Adams Fairacre Farms — and accepts wholesale and distributor inquiries via [email protected].
Revenue mechanics blend one-time cheese and food sales across owned retail and restaurant channels with two recurring streams tied to the affiliated nonprofit Kemp Animal Sanctuary (a 501(c)(3) housing 130+ rescued animals): tiered annual memberships ($40 individual, $75 dual, $100 family, $500 business, $1,000 angel) providing tour access and 10% cheese discounts, plus tax-deductible donations. Distribution combines regional DTC retail at both locations, a domestic distributor/wholesale network, hospitality venue sales at The Hitching Post, and event-driven sales during Wine & Cheese Pairings, Thurman Maple Days, and sanctuary fundraisers. Marketing is conducted through social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), the nettlemeadow.com website, earned press (Esquire, Wine Spectator, Adirondack Explorer, Culture Cheese Magazine, Glens Falls Chronicle), and on-premise events and tours. Co-owner Sheila Flanagan publicly invited mission-aligned investors in 2025, marking the first known opening to outside capital.
Nettle Meadow firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nettle Meadow
- Legal name
- Nettle Meadow Farm
- Website
- https://nettlemeadow.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nettle Meadow is a privately held, Adirondack-based artisan cheesemaker producing 40+ award-winning goat, sheep, and cow milk cheeses — including the trademarked Kunik — via an original Thurman farm and a 2022 Lake Luzerne production facility, restaurant, and retail site, serving direct visitors, hospitality buyers, and wholesale specialty retailers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nettle Meadow industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan / Specialty Cheese
- NAICS
- Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Goat Farming (112420)
- SIC
- Dairy Products (2020)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cheese (Natural & Processed) (CRADACAC), Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO), Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Dairy Goat Farming (Milk Production) (AFAEAFAC)
Keywords
Where Nettle Meadow is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Warrensburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Nettle Meadow business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cheese Sales: Direct retail and restaurant sales of artisan cheeses at farm store and The Hitching Post tavern. Wholesale/distributor inquiries accepted.
- Sanctuary Memberships: Annual memberships providing access to members-only farm tours and 10% discount on cheese purchases. Tiers: Individual ($40), Two memberships ($75), Family ($100), Business ($500), Angel ($1,000).
- Donations: Tax-deductible donations to support the Kemp Animal Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization caring for 130+ sanctuary animals.
- Restaurant & Tavern: Food service revenue from The Hitching Post restaurant featuring cheese-focused menu, local wines, American craft beers, and cheese tastings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | $40 individual membership with tour access and 10% cheese discount |
| Subscription | Annual | $75 for two memberships |
| Subscription | Annual | $100 family membership |
| Subscription | Annual | $500 business membership |
| Subscription | Annual | $1,000 angel membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Nettle Meadow product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nettle Meadow manufactures and sells more than 40 award-winning artisan cheeses — including the trademarked Kunik triple crème goat cheese — made from local cow, goat, and sheep milk sourced from the Adirondack region of upstate New York. The creamery pairs cheese production with the Kemp Animal Sanctuary (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) and The Hitching Post restaurant, tavern, and tasting room, selling cheese directly at the farm and to wholesale restaurant/retail customers across the Northeast.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Artisan Cheese Collection (40+ varieties) Award-winning portfolio of more than 40 artisan cheeses handcrafted from local cow, goat, and sheep milk in the Adirondack region, sold directly at the farm store, Hitching Post shop, and to wholesale customers.
- Kunik Cheese (trademarked)
- The Hitching Post Restaurant & Tavern Restaurant and tavern at the Lake Luzerne location open Saturday–Sunday featuring cheese-focused menus, cheese boards, small plates, macaroni and cheese with Kunik and Peppered Ewe, local wines, American craft beers, and cheese tastings.
- Kemp Animal Sanctuary Memberships Annual membership program supporting the 130+ rescued farm animals at the Kemp Animal Sanctuary, with tiers from Individual ($40) to Angel ($1,000) granting members-only farm tour access and a 10% discount on cheese purchases.
- Wholesale Cheese Distribution Wholesale supply of Nettle Meadow artisan cheeses to restaurant and retail buyers via distributor partnerships; inquiries handled at [email protected].
- Farm Sanctuary Tours & Visitor Experiences Guided walks and visits at the Thurman, NY farm where guests meet 130+ rescued farm animals (sheep, goats, cows, horses, donkeys, llamas, pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, cats, bunnies, peacocks) and purchase cheese on-site.
Quantifiable outcome
- Kunik won 1st Place at 2025 American Cheese Society Awards
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Nettle Meadow
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Nettle Meadow technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Nettle Meadow partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sheila FlanagancoreCo-owner of Nettle Meadow reaching out to mission-aligned investors for expansion. Contact: [email protected]
- Saxelby CheesemongersminorNYC-based specialty cheese retailer featuring Nettle Meadow's Kunik cheese and promoting their products to customers
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nettle Meadow competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rogue Creamery: Oregon-based award-winning artisan creamery (notably blue cheese). Comparable in scale, multi-award product line, farm/creamery brand storytelling, and wholesale-plus-direct distribution.
- Cypress Grove: Iconic U.S. artisan goat cheese maker (e.g., Humboldt Fog). Directly comparable in product mix (goat-milk soft and bloomy-rind cheeses), premium positioning, and specialty/cheese-monger channel.
- Vermont Creamery: Artisan creamery best known for goat cheese and cultured dairy, sold nationally in retail and foodservice. Closely comparable to Nettle Meadow in product category (goat-milk cheeses, soft-ripened styles), brand-led positioning, and multi-format distribution.
- Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont artisan cheese maker and affineur with on-farm production. Comparable in farmstead positioning, multi-award product range, and blend of on-site experience with national wholesale distribution.
- Shelburne Farms: Vermont farmstead cheddar maker and educational farm. Comparable as a farm-based cheesemaker that bundles artisan cheese production with on-site hospitality, tours, and an institutional/nonprofit overlay.
- Haystack Mountain: Long-running Colorado-based goat cheese creamery. Comparable as a regional, goat-milk-focused artisan cheese producer with a similar specialty/cheese-monger and foodservice distribution model.
- Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Artisan cheese maker with a flagship retail/restaurant location and national wholesale. Comparable as a brand-forward creamery combining cheesemaking, on-site food service, and premium retail.
Broad incumbents
- Murray's Cheese: Iconic NYC cheese shop, wholesaler, and affinage business. Comparable as a downstream channel for Nettle Meadow (Saxelby Cheesemongers relationship is in this vein) and as a benchmark for cheese retail/wholesale economics.
- Cabot Creamery: Large Northeast U.S. dairy cooperative with broad cheese and dairy portfolio. Comparable as a regional dairy/cheese brand competing in the same Northeast grocery channel, but at meaningfully larger scale and broader category scope.
Regional players
- Saxelby Cheesemongers: NYC-based specialty cheese retailer actively promoting Nettle Meadow's Kunik. Comparable as a regional channel partner and as a specialty cheese retail benchmark for the Northeast market Nettle Meadow serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Nettle Meadow social profiles
Digital presenceNettle Meadow financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nettle Meadow leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Nettle Meadow funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nettle Meadow M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nettle Meadow
What does Nettle Meadow do?
Nettle Meadow manufactures and sells more than 40 award-winning artisan cheeses — including the trademarked Kunik triple crème goat cheese — made from local cow, goat, and sheep milk sourced from the Adirondack region of upstate New York. The creamery pairs cheese production with the Kemp Animal Sanctuary (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) and The Hitching Post restaurant, tavern, and tasting room, selling cheese directly at the farm and to wholesale restaurant/retail customers across the Northeast.
Is Nettle Meadow a public or private company?
Nettle Meadow is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Nettle Meadow founded?
Nettle Meadow was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nettle Meadow based?
Nettle Meadow is headquartered in Warrensburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nettle Meadow make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Cheese Sales are the primary driver. The others are sanctuary Memberships, donations and restaurant & Tavern.
Who are Nettle Meadow's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rogue Creamery, Cypress Grove, Vermont Creamery, Jasper Hill Farm, Shelburne Farms, Haystack Mountain and Beecher's Handmade Cheese. Broad incumbents are Murray's Cheese and Cabot Creamery. Saxelby Cheesemongers is listed as a regional player.
Does Nettle Meadow have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nettle Meadow.
What industry is Nettle Meadow in?
Nettle Meadow's product category is Artisan / Specialty Cheese. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAKAB, Cheese Manufacturing, with a secondary code of CRADACAC, Cheese (Natural & Processed). Its NAICS code is 311513 and its SIC code is 2020.