Cheese Is Not A Human Invention

Trevor Warmedahl (Milk Trekker)

Trevor Warmedahl, also known as Milk Trekker, is a nomadic cheesemaker, teacher, and author who travels the world documenting endangered cheese-making practices from rural pastoral communities. He won the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award in 2022 and teaches through his Sour Milk School. His book, Cheese Trekking: How Microbes, Landscapes, Livestock, and Human Cultures Shape Terroir, comes out February 17th, 2026 with Chelsea Green Publishing.

Recorded in Bra, Italy during the Slow Food cheese festival, Trevor and I explore why cheese is milk's natural destiny, not a human invention. We dive into the ethical realities of dairy, the influence of David Asher's book, how industrial starter cultures are like buying seeds from Monsanto, the profound practice of transhumance, raw milk safety debates, microbial diversity, terroir, and what the future holds for American cheesemakers.

"Cheese is really milk fulfilling its destiny." Trevor challenges the industrial model and shows us there's another way—one rooted in traditional wisdom, seasonal rhythms, and the infinite potential hidden in a pail of raw milk.

This has been condensed from a two-hour conversation. For the full unedited version with more stories from Trevor's travels, subscribe to my Substack at gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction
 02:21 - Cheese is not a human invention
 11:58 - The role of microbes in cheese making
 13:38 - Fears and safety of natural cheese
 22:02 - Cheese and microbes
 29:05 - Cheese terroir and its complexity
 36:36 - Aha moments in cheese making
 44:38 - Tradition vs. innovation
 48:18 - Transhumance: the art of seasonal migration
 57:24 - The essential role of salt
 1:02:25 - Favorite food memory
 1:05:33 - Final thoughts

CONNECT WITH TREVOR

Substack: milktrekker.substack.com
Instagram: @milktrekker
Book: Pre-order Cheese Trekking (out February 17, 2026) with Chelsea Green Publishing

FOLLOW GARDENS OF EARTHLY DELIGHT

Substack: gardensofearthlydelight.substack.com
Instagram: @gardensofearthlydelightpod
Podcast: gardensofearthlydelight.com/subscribe

Photo of Trevor credit: Alexander Pomper
Music by Constant Smiles
Logo design by Hunky Kitty