How do you improve on a 20-year award winning goat cheese recipe? You go vegan! That is exactly what Julian and Carol of The Sanctuary at Soledad Goats did after retiring from their business as award-winning goat cheese farmers and owners of a sanctuary for retired dairy animals, according to one green planet.
Julian and Carol are no strangers to rescue pets – goats, pigs, chickens, cows and dogs – but they say they had a revelation one day after looking into the faces of their rescued animals: they no longer felt good about the animal milk-based produts they had made a quality living producing, according to little things. And as they continued rescuing sick, abused, neglected and unwanted animals, producing their cheese products just didn't feel right anymore.
The couple had the epiphany that the entire farm would go vegan. That meant they would no longer consume any meat or animal products, including eggs, milk or honey. This also meant they would have to find a new way to make their cheese. Using nuts, and the milk obtained from nuts, they found a way to completely reinvent their award-winning cheese recipe.
In addition to having the satisfaction that their business was now "cruelty-free," Carol and Julian Pearce were recognized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for making that step, according to Veg News, and happily awarded the duo with their Compassionate Business Award.
