Category: Guest Blogs

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Cheese workshop

Seattle Pastry Girl attended last weeks fundamentals of home cheese-making workshop at Quillisascut Farm. Here is her recent blog post about the workshop.

I had the absolute pleasure of attending a Cheese Making Workshop at the Quillisascut Farm School in Rice, Washington. It could not have been any more perfect. It’s about a 6hour drive north east of Seattle and the weather cooperated-I had the most gorgeous blue skies the entire way. To call the route scenic is an understatement. I watched Lenore Lake go by, then Blue Lake and then the grandest of all Lake Roosevelt. I had never been to this picture postcard area of Washington before and it was astounding-breathtaking doesn’t do it justice. I kept my radio off and listened instead to the birds chirping and singing as I slowed for the sharp turns; watched a hawk’s shadow cross the road and hood of my car; saw two little does peeking out from the pines and more deep blue lupine than I had seen in a very long time. Read her complete post

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Rick Misterly Bio

Last fall Rick visited with three students from the Kettle Falls fourth grade. They were interviewing community members and created a booklet titled, A Few of the Friendly People (for all of you who have visited Kettle Falls you may have seen the sign on the highway near the edge of town, Kettle Falls 1640 Friendly People and one Grouch)

Rick Misterly grew up in Southern California near Los Angeles. There was nice warm weather and no winter. He walked the two blocks to school with his two friends who lived right next door. Rick played football, baseball and basketball.
He moved to Rice in 1981. He wanted to have a farm and grow his own food and have many farm animals.

Rick Misterly and his wife, Lora Lea own the Quillisascut Farm. He grows vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Rick has lots of animals on his farm. He has cows, goats, chickens, pigs and dogs. The animals require a lot of work. Everyday he has to feed the animals and collect the eggs. He also cleans the animals’ beds. He prunes the trees in late winter. Something interesting about his works is that he never knows exactly what he’s going to do each day. There’s always something unexpected.

Goats are an important animal on Rick’s farm. He milks the goats and makes many different kinds of goat cheese. Then he sells the cheese. They also have a farm school. People come from all over to learn about farm life, how to make cheese and other cooking lessons. One time the governor, Chris Gregoire and her husband had lunch at his house. There is also a book about his farm called Chefs on the Farm.

Rick loves it when the kindergarten classes from Kettle Falls Elementary come to his farm every spring! The kids are always so excited. This will be the 21st year having kindergarteners come to his farm. He loves the questions they ask and the kids love to see the goats.

By Kimberly, Gabby, Paiton

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For Money or Love

Often we are asked the question, “Who attends a Quillisascut workshop”? It seems the people who sign-up can be divided into two groups, for money “vocational” those learning skills for work, or for love *“vacational” those who are learning skills for life. Although, the outcome for most everyone is that Quillisascut is a place to dream up new ideas for the future. (maybe we should call it “idea farm”)

Many who participate are obvious food lovers who are looking for opportunities to refresh their memories around farm to table deliciousness, among them are those who are developing new skills for their careers or searching for a new path in life. It is apparent in our conversations around the dinner table that there is a common desire to make each day of their life vital and fulfilling. Continue reading “For Money or Love”

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A Recent Visitor to Quillisascut


Vera Chang, one of the students during the recent Intro to Farming Workshop has written a wonderful article about her visit to Quillisascut. Read what Vera has written and see if you recognize yourself in her words. Vera is also a talented photographer. One of the photos from her visit is Gigi the goat.

Since I moved to Seattle a year and a half ago, there’s no farm whose name has come up more than Quillisascut, located in the foothills of the Huckleberry Mountains in Rice, WA. And since I visit farms as Bon Appétit Management Company Foundation’s West Coast Fellow, I have lots of conversations about food and farming. Quillisascut is a cheese company, selling what they call “traditional farmstead cheese from the pampered pets of Pleasant Valley,” but it’s also a school for the domestic arts.

After completing a five-day “Introduction to Farming” workshop at Quillisascut recently, nicely documented by Farmgirl Gourmet, I understand why this farm school is so beloved by food service professionals, healthcare students, farmers and aspiring farmers, vacationers, and other “co-producers” (as Slow Food and the farm’s cookbook, Chefs on the Farm refer to us “eaters”). Attendees from around the US and the world come to milk goats and share the dinner table with farmers Lora Lea and Rick Misterley. Celebrity chefs, such as Tom Douglas, and media, like Sunset Magazine, have lauded Quillisascut. I hope that you, dear reader, can one day visit it, too.Read More

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Guest Blogger

We have a guest blogger here this week for the Introduction to Farming workshop. Heather from farmgirlgourmet.com will be blogging about what we are doing each day here at Quillisascut  as well as stories about the farms we visit. Let’s read what Heather has to say.

Several weeks ago I received an email from Lora Lea of Quillisascut Farm asking me if I’d be interested in coming to her Intro to Farming workshop and being a guest blogger. I had been to Lora Lea & Rick’s farm back in February during their Chef Retreat, an annual gathering of local Chefs that happens the weekend after Valentine’s Day, and did not hesitate to send back my response that I’d love to attend. read more