Lively Run Goat Dairy

What Lively Run Goat Dairy does

Lively Run Goat Dairy is a family-owned farmstead dairy and creamery founded in 1982 and operated by the Messmer family since 1995 at 8978 County Road 142, Interlaken, New York, in the Finger Lakes region. The company handcrafts artisan cheeses in small batches using milk from partner farms' goats, cows, and sheep, applying traditional methods including cheddaring, milling, natural rind aging, bloomy rind techniques, and beer-washing. The product portfolio spans roughly 15 cheese varieties (including Cayuga Blue, Fresh Chevre, Goat Milk Feta, Finger Lakes Gold and Gold Reserve, Phebe, Interlaken, Bucheron, New Moon, Blue Yonder, Shire, Sheldrake Moon, Lake Effect Cheddar, Gorge Trail Gouda, Cheese Curds, and Seneca Blue) plus complementary items such as goat milk soap, lotions, jams, mustards, crackers, gift bundles, and event tickets.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and wholesale model. Direct channels include a seasonal farm store (May through October, Tuesday-Saturday, 12pm-5pm), a nationwide e-commerce storefront at livelyrun.com, and ticketed Cheese O'Clock tasting events on Saturdays during the summer season at $25 per person. Wholesale distribution is handled through a partnership with Sincero Distribution, which places Lively Run products in retail and restaurant accounts nationally; named relationships include Dano's on Seneca, Copper Oven Pizza, Saxelby's Cheese Mongers, and Little Bleu Cheese Shop.

The company has accumulated multiple American Cheese Society awards since 2017, including Best-of-Show finalist recognition for Finger Lakes Gold Reserve in 2019, and was featured by Bon Appetit as one of 'The 25 Most Important Cheeses in America.' In 2025, Lively Run took over production of New Moon cheese from Old Chatham Creamery, extending its bloomy rind line. Beyond commercial operations, the Messmer family runs the Mongolian Project (training artisans in yak-milk cheesemaking) and the Cheese for Ukraine humanitarian initiative through partner Serenity, Inc. The company is privately held, has no external funding, and does not disclose revenue.

Name

Lively Run Goat Dairy

Legal name

Lively Run Goat Diary Farm & Creamery

Website

https://livelyrun.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lively Run Goat Dairy is a family-owned Finger Lakes farmstead creamery, operating since 1982, that handcrafts award-winning artisan goat, cow, and sheep milk cheeses and sells them through its seasonal farm store, nationwide e-commerce shop, and wholesale distributor Sincero Distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Farmstead Cheese

NAICS

Goat Farming (112420), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Sheep and Goat Farming (1124), Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy Goat Farming (Milk Production) (AFAEAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Milking Parlor & Dairy Farm Support Services (Non-veterinary) (AFAEALAK), Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Artisan goat cheese
• Farmstead dairy products
• Handcrafted cheese production
• Aged cheese varieties
• Specialty food retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Interlaken

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Direct sales of award-winning artisan cheeses including Cayuga Blue, Fresh Chevre, Goat Milk Feta, Finger Lakes Gold, Finger Lakes Gold Reserve, Phebe, Interlaken, Bucheron, New Moon, Blue Yonder, Shire, Sheldrake Moon, Lake Effect Cheddar, Gorge Trail Gouda, Cheese Curds, and Seneca Blue. Products sold in various sizes from 4oz to full wheels.
2. Value-Added Products: Sales of complementary products including goat milk soap, cheese condiments (jams, mustards, compotes), crackers, salamis, lotions, gift certificates, and the 'Cooking With Cheese in the Finger Lakes' cookbook.
3. Event Tickets and Experiences: Cheese O'Clock tasting events held on Saturdays (June through October) at $25 per person, offering guided tastings of 6 different cheeses and cheese-making education.
4. Wholesale and Distribution: Products distributed through official distributor Sincero Distribution to retail locations and restaurants across the country.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lively Run Goat Dairy is a family-owned farmstead creamery in Interlaken, New York, producing handcrafted artisan cheeses from goat, cow, and sheep milk sourced from partner farms in the Finger Lakes region. It sells these cheeses through an on-site farm store, an online shop with nationwide shipping, seasonal Cheese O'Clock tasting experiences, and wholesale distribution via Sincero Distribution to restaurants and specialty retailers across the country.

Product overview

Lively Run Goat Dairy is a family-owned farm and creamery producing award-winning artisan cheeses from goat, cow, and sheep milk in the Finger Lakes region since 1982. The product portfolio centers on their core cheese offerings including award-winning varieties like Cayuga Blue, Finger Lakes Gold (available in standard and Reserve versions), Fresh Chevre, Goat Milk Feta, and specialty cheeses (Phebe, Interlaken, Bucheron, New Moon). Their cow milk cheeses include Blue Yonder, Shire (beer cheese), Sheldrake Moon, Lake Effect Cheddar, Gorge Trail Gouda, and Cheese Curds. They also produce Seneca Blue from sheep milk. Beyond cheese, the company offers experiential cheese tasting events, beauty products (goat milk soap), publications, and gift packages. The products are sold through their farm shop, online store, and distributed via Sincero Distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mongolian Project: International initiative supporting traditional yak milk dairy production in Mongolia, involving Helen and Batuka working to establish markets for yak milk products and artisanal cheese development

Products and services

• Cayuga Blue Natural rind pasteurized goat milk blue cheese marbled throughout with veins of blue, featuring earthy and mushroom flavors with nutty sweetness. Built on ACS award recognition and named for Cayuga Lake.
• Fresh Chevre Traditional fresh goat milk ch\u00e8vre with clean, grassy flavor and a fluffy, creamy curd, available in multiple sizes and flavor varieties from savory to sweet.
• Goat Milk Feta Traditionally brine-aged feta made entirely from goat milk with a briny, lemony flavor and crumbly, firm texture; aged for one month in salt brine.
• Finger Lakes Gold Hard aged goat's milk cheese made from pasteurized milk, aged a minimum of 90 days, showcasing the quality and flavor of Finger Lakes goat milk.
• Finger Lakes Gold Reserve Extra-aged version of Finger Lakes Gold aged a minimum of 300 days, with a deeper flavor, firmer texture, and burnt sugar finish; limited availability.
• Phebe Hard natural rind goat milk cheese named after the first woman who settled on the farm in the 1840s, aged over a year with strong umami notes balanced by caramel flavors.
• Interlaken New York style cheddar made entirely from pasteurized goat milk, sharp with characteristic tang and a sliceable texture with slight crumbliness.
• Bucheron Lactic set, bloomy rind goat cheese following a traditional French recipe, formed into 2 lb logs and aged until a snow-white rind develops with a creamline and silky texture.
• New Moon Bloomy rind goat milk brie-style cheese whose production was taken over from Old Chatham Creamery in 2025 and adapted to Lively Run's goat milk and creamery.
• Blue Yonder Natural rind pasteurized cow milk blue cheese made from a single herd of Holsteins, with strong marbling, a fudgy texture, and buttery flavors.
• Shire Beer Cheese Natural rind, hard aged cow milk cheese washed with Shire Ale, an award-winning Scotch-style ale from Hopshire Brewery in Dryden, NY, featuring dark roast coffee and toffee notes.
• Sheldrake Moon Small-format pasteurized cow milk bloomy rind cheese from a single herd of Holsteins, with a cream line, pudgy texture, and rich buttery flavor.
• Lake Effect Cheddar Pasteurized New York style cheddar from a single herd of Holsteins, aged a minimum of 6 months, medium sharp with firm texture and good melting properties.
• Gorge Trail Gouda Traditional Dutch recipe Gouda aged on wooden shelves with natural rind (not waxed) for a more complex, intense flavor and stronger paste.
• Cheese Curds Fresh squeaky cheese curds from a single herd of Holsteins raised on a family farm, with milky flavor; can be refreshed in a microwave for 10 seconds.
• Seneca Blue Rindless pasteurized sheep milk blue cheese marbled with delicate blue lines, sourced from a cooperative of small sheep dairies in Central NY, with silky, smooth texture and rich smoke-meat notes.
• Cheese O'Clock Tasting Experience Guided cheese tasting experience held Saturdays at 3pm (June through October) at the farm, including tasting of 6 different cheeses and cheese-making education at $25 per person.
• Goat Milk Soap Beauty and body care product made with goat milk from the farm's dairy, sold alongside the cheese line in farm store and online shop.
• Cooking With Cheese in the Finger Lakes Cookbook Cookbook featuring recipes built around Lively Run's artisan cheeses, sold as part of the gift package assortment at the farm store and online.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple American Cheese Society awards won by Cayuga Blue (2017, 2018, 2022, 2024), Finger Lakes Gold (2019, 2022, 2023, 2025), Blue Yonder and Shire (2023), and Finger Lakes Gold Reserve (2019 First Place and Best-of-Show Finalist out of 1,742 products)

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hopshire BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Hopshire Brewery in Dryden, NY to create Shire beer cheese. The cheese curds are washed with Shire Ale, an award-winning Scotch-style ale, during the make process. This partnership reflects the idea that beer cheese should actually taste like the beer it's made with.
• Sincero DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distributor partnership with Sincero Distribution, which brings Lively Run products to retail locations closer to customers nationwide. Quality products delivered closer to customers through this distribution network.
• Serenity, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Serenity, Inc. for the Cheese for Ukraine initiative. Lively Run provides cheese to Serenity Inc., which sells it directly to consumers, stores, and restaurants. A portion of profits is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian refugees domestically or abroad.
• Mongolian Dairy Cooperative (Helen and Batuka)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Helen and Batuka and a cooperative of young farmers in Mongolia working toward construction of a state-of-the-art dairy processing plant. Batuka spent 7 months training with Lively Run's Head Cheesemaker Pete Messmer learning artisanal cheese-making techniques for adaptation to yak milk. Joint vision to support traditional nomadic dairying in Mongolia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Old Chatham Creamery: New York-based farmstead sheep (and cow) milk cheesemaker. Directly comparable as a NY farmstead dairy with multi-species cheese, national specialty distribution, and a recent product transfer (Lively Run took over New Moon production from Old Chatham in 2025).
• Cypress Grove (now Saputo): Cypress Grove pioneered American goat-milk cheese (most famously Humboldt Fog) and remains one of the most awarded artisan cheesemakers in the U.S. Closely comparable in product category, premium positioning, and award-driven brand, though at substantially larger scale as part of Saputo.
• Vermont Creamery: Vermont Creamery is a farmstead goat dairy and cultured-cream/cheese producer in Websterville, VT. Highly comparable: goat-milk base, award-winning artisan cheeses (e.g., Bijou, Coupole), national specialty distribution, and a similar DTC plus wholesale model.
• Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse: New Jersey farmstead dairy producing award-winning raw-milk cheeses (e.g., Dr. Mabray) from a small herd, with on-farm sales and farmers' market plus mail-order distribution. Comparable farmstead craft model, direct-to-consumer emphasis, and award-driven brand.
• Jasper Hill Farm: Cabot-based Vermont farmstead cheesemaker known for raw-milk and natural-rind aged cheeses (e.g., Bayley Hazen Blue, Constant Bliss). Highly comparable craft focus, natural-rind aging techniques, and award-driven premium positioning.
• Coach Farm: Historic New York goat-milk farmstead cheesemaker famous for fresh and aged goat cheeses with bloomy rinds. Comparable in goat-dairy craft heritage, NY farmstead positioning, and chef-driven retail distribution.
• Vermont Shepherd Farm: Vermont farmstead sheep-milk cheese maker producing aged, natural-rind wheels (e.g., Vermont Shepherd, Invierno). Comparable in farmstead scale, multi-species sourcing philosophy, and award-winning aged cheese portfolio.
• Haystack Mountain Farmstead Cheese: Long-running Colorado goat-milk farmstead cheesemaker with award-winning cheeses (e.g., Haystack Peak) and wholesale into specialty retail and foodservice. Comparable in farmstead goat base, artisan techniques, and DTC + wholesale GTM.

Broad incumbents

• BelGioioso Cheese: Large Wisconsin specialty cheesemaker with broad portfolio including fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmesan, and other artisan styles distributed nationally. Adjacent rather than direct: a broader incumbent competing for specialty cheese shelf space and foodservice placements.
• Roth Cheese (Emmi Roth): Wisconsin-based specialty cheesemaker with broad portfolio (Grand Cru, Buttermilk Blue, aged goudas). Functions as a broader incumbent in specialty and aged cheese, competing for the same specialty retail and foodservice accounts as Lively Run.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWQY9874f8rjvmoTweUb7qg
• Facebookfacebook.com/LivelyRunDairy
• Instagraminstagram.com/livelyrundairy
• Xx.com/livelyrundairy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lively-run-goat-dairy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lively Run Goat Dairy