Unstable milk prices that rarely get very high have forced most dairies to grow their herds to sufficient sizes to make money on volume. In general, farmers rarely keep the one or two cows in a red barn so often depicted in children's books. But Dietzel, with 15 milking cows, is among the small dairy farmers in the U.S. trying to turn a profit without having to churn out substantially more milk.

"My business plan for that was to add value to that milk by making cheese," Dietzel says.

Increasing demand for upscale, local foods has created a market for on-farm cheesemakers like Dietzel. Profit is not guaranteed and the up-front investment is significant, but it's the model Dietzel has chosen.

Read the full article on the Iowa Public Radio website.