Ferndale Farmstead

Ferndale Farmstead is a three-generation Wavrin family farm in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to crafting artisan cheese in the Italian tradition. The story began in the early 1990s when farmers Bill and Laurie Wavrin joined forces with Bill’s brother Sid and his wife Kelly to start a new venture. In 2009, they purchased the Larsen Family’s dairy farm in Ferndale, Washington, continuing a long legacy of local agriculture. Bill’s son, Daniel, grew up working on the farm, and while studying at Cal Poly University in 2011, he discovered a passion for artisan cheese. Inspired and supported by his father and uncle, he traveled to cheese artisans and universities across the country, from California to Wisconsin to Vermont, learning the craft. By 2013, the family had begun building their creamery, creating a true farm-to-cheese operation—growing the cows’ feed, milking on-site, and transforming that milk into exceptional Italian-style cheeses.