As part of our ongoing Knowledge Transfer activities, members of Leitrim Organic Farmers Co-op were warmly welcomed to Leitrim Hill Creamery, the home of Lisa Gifford and her family, and the source of one of Ireland’s most distinctive raw milk cheeses.
Tucked into the uplands near Ballinamore, the creamery is the product of Lisa’s return to Leitrim after years working abroad and her deep commitment to living and working in rhythm with the land. What began as a journey toward a simpler life ,growing food and keeping a few animals , with the help of her family, has evolved into a thriving smallholding and micro-creamery that reflects everything we value in local food systems: transparency, quality, ecology, and care.
Lisa and her family run a calf-at-foot dairy, meaning calves stay with their mothers and milk is shared. The cheese is made by hand in small batches using raw milk, natural cultures, and traditional Alpine methods, and then aged on site in a converted stone shed.
From grazing practices to animal welfare, from cheesemaking to land stewardship, every part of the process is thoughtful and deeply grounded in place.
Through careful agri-diversification, the team at Leitrim Hill Creamery is now producing raw milk ice cream, expanding their offering while staying true to their principles. In 2024, they took a major step forward by opening a dedicated cheese and ice cream shop in Carrick-on-Shannon, giving customers direct access to their products and a deeper connection to the story behind them.
Our members came away inspired that good food begins with good farming, not mass production. We’re grateful to Lisa and her family for sharing their story, and we encourage anyone who cares about real cheese, real land, and real livelihoods to learn more at:
