LYNDEN, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Kate Steensma sits at the kitchen table in her family’s farmhouse while her young son babbles away, playing with his grandmother. A few hundred feet behind the house, her father and brother tend to the family’s 200 cows. 

Steensma’s great-grandparents emigrated from Holland in 1946, eventually settling in Whatcom County, where they found fertile ground and a good farming climate. The family has lived and farmed in Lynden ever since, continuing the Steensma dairy legacy. 

“You can make a lot of milk out of this dirt,” Kate remarked. 

Today, Steensma Creamery is best known for their skyr, a yogurt-like cheese originating in northern Europe. It is the first locally produced skyr in the Pacific Northwest. “This yogurt was grass on Monday,” reads a sign at the Steensma Creamery booth at the Bellingham Farmers Market. 

Kate Steensma stands at the Bellingham Farmers Market where she sells her locally made skyr yogurt. Photo by Thalia Coulter

The milk is processed using low temperature long time pasteurization to eliminate pathogens. The pasteurized milk is then cultured and incubated for 24 hours before workers strain the curds from the whey. Some batches are flavored with raspberry, mango or maple, while others are left plain. The skyr is packaged and distributed to grocery stores and farmers markets throughout western Washington. 

An employee at Steensma Creamery jars a fresh batch of mango flavored skyr to be sold that week at a farmers’ market in the region. Photo by Sam Kristofferson

Kate Steensma emphasized the importance of locally produced food. The farther a product has to travel, the more carbon is emitted, and the more preservatives are needed. Steensma’s skyr, however, has no added preservatives and is often distributed by the Steensma family themselves. 

“Wait, hold on, you’re the farmer?” curious customers ask Kate at farmers markets and grocery store sample stands. In an age of modernized agriculture, consumers are increasingly removed from the source of their food, losing a sense of connection between customers and farmers. 

“We want to know where our food is grown, who are the people and the animals that are producing our food. I see an opportunity to rebuild that bridge.” – Kate Steensma

Feeding people is rewarding work. The day-to-day realities of farming are not always glamorous, and the work is hard, but Kate is proud to create products that nourish the community and connect people. 

“Food is something that everybody has in common,” she said. 

But farming is not just about the product or the customers. Kate, who holds a bachelor’s degree in ecology and a master’s in animal science, is passionate about sustainable farming practices and maintaining the animals’ wellbeing. 

The family’s 200 cows graze on grass grown on the farm’s 200 acres, fertilized by the cows’ manure. The grass feeds the cows, and the cows feed the grass – it’s a closed loop. The farm also practices rotational grazing, which promotes soil and plant health. 

During the warmer months, the cows have free pasture access. They have free choice to visit a robotic milking machine that feeds them a treat while they are cleaned and milked. The machine reads each cow’s electronic identification collar, keeping data on the cow’s health and milk production. Some cows are overly eager to be milked, and the milking robot gently kicks them out of the stall, making space for the next cow in line. 

Photo by Sam Kristofferson

The free-choice system works for both the farmers and the cows, freeing up workers’ time and maintaining the cows’ wellbeing, while producing about 1500 gallons of milk every day. Kate uses her background in grazing ecology to keep this delicate balance. 

She considers, “How can we work this system so that cows can still be cows and follow their natural instincts and behaviors but still be visiting the robot often enough so that we’re still making enough milk to make money.” 

Dairy farming is not always a lucrative business, and local family-owned farms are dying out as they face rising costs, increased regulation and competition from large-scale commercial farms. 

“We’re too stubborn to quit,” John Steensma, Kate’s father, said. He recalls thousands of local dairy farms in his childhood – now the number is around 50, he said. 

The Steensma family has seen many changes over the years, overcoming challenges and adopting innovative new practices, like the robotic milking machine. At the end of the day, however, their mission remains the same: doing what’s best for the land and the animals while producing delicious dairy products and connecting with the community. 

“Family is here. This is where our roots are for 78 years now, and like my dad said, we’re survivors,” Kate said.

We are Whatcom is a weekly column featuring Whatcom County residents making a positive impact on the community. To submit a Whatcom County resident to be featured, click here.