For Valerie Roberts and her family, nothing quite says home like cheese.

Roberts is originally from Quebec, but as a child in a military family, she moved around her entire life, eventually settling on an acreage outside of Vermilion. She enrolled in Lakeland College’s animal health technology program, graduating in 2014, and threw herself into her career as a vet tech.

When her father Patrick Dupuis retired from the military, however, a family business was born. Together with her father and two siblings, they were inspired by something they found lacking in their life in the prairies – access to the kind of cheese they remembered from back home.

“There were only six cheeseries in Alberta then,” Roberts remembers. “Whereas there are over 300 in Ontario and Quebec. Being from Quebec, we love cheese – specifically fresh cheese curds. We couldn’t find anything like that here that we truly love, so we thought, ‘What the heck! We’ll make our own.’”

With that thought, the Old School Cheesery was born in 2016. Since then, her siblings have left the business for other projects, but Roberts and her father have continued to expand the cheesery.

“Eight years later, we’re still strong, growing and making more varieties of cheese,” Roberts says. “It was a really good industry to get into.”

Milk components and more

There were a few hiccups along the way, however. For one thing, Roberts and her family didn’t have an agricultural background. To enter the dairy industry and be successful in cheesemaking, Roberts decided to return to Lakeland. This time, she enrolled in the animal science technology program, majoring in dairy science. She graduated from the dairy program in 2016.

Though many of her classmates came from agricultural backgrounds, Roberts quickly found her footing, supported by her teachers and classmates.

“My Lakeland experience was amazing,” she says. “I really liked the small-town feel, the small classes. I felt like a student, not a number. They stripped down the dairy basics for me and then taught me everything from the ground up, incorporating more and more information as we went. I gained a good understanding of how the industry works, and what the different effects of buttermilk and other components of milk will have on my end product. I wouldn’t have had an understanding of that at all if I hadn’t taken the program at Lakeland, and it really set me up for success with my company.”

Expanding cheese horizons

Roberts is the co-owner of the Old School Cheesery, which was originally located on her family’s acreage. The business moved to a commercial space in Vermilion in 2021. There, Roberts oversees the entire cheese production side of things, including developing new varieties and keeping their retail location stocked. She also oversees milk receivables, health inspections and cleanliness, while ensuring orders from retail and restaurants across Alberta are filled.

“I have absolutely fallen in love with the cheesemaking aspect of my company,” Roberts says. “I love my job. I did not realize I would love cheesemaking this much until I got into it.”

Currently, Roberts’ role in the company is transitioning as her father moves towards retirement. He spent much of the summer teaching Roberts everything she needs to know to oversee the financial and business side of the operation.

I’ve been running this company with Dad for nine years now,” Roberts says. “We’ve always been a good team, which is why I didn’t hesitate to jump into this headfirst with him. This business is a bond we’ve created. I’m a bit nervous about him stepping down, but it’s a good nervous. I feel like I’m ready for this next step and I’m excited for my dad to take his retirement. He has reassured me that he’ll always be there as a mentor to help me.”

Local supporting local

Roberts also credits the support network she has developed in the town of Vermilion and regionally as something that will help her during this transition. It’s one of the founding principles of The Old School Cheesery – local businesses supporting local.

"As a woman in the industry and a young entrepreneur, it can be a challenge, but I am stepping up and putting myself out there as the owner of this company. I have a lot of connections and a lot of supports locally that are helping me through these challenges, which I really appreciate.”

She works with local producers to bring in their products, including honey varieties, wines and ciders. She also provides the whey byproduct of her cheesemaking to local pig farmers, free of charge.

Restaurants in Vermilion use her cheeses and her products can be found in retail locations across the regions.

"I try to stick within our theme, anything you’ll find on a charcuterie board or that would pair well with cheese (when bringing in other products),” Roberts says. “As a small business in Vermilion, it’s very important to support local producers. Supporting our community and them supporting us, that’s how we stay open.”

It’s that local connection that made winning the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Business of the Year award that much more meaningful.

“The award is humbling and a validation as part of this community.”

That desire to support local is also what keeps Roberts connected with Lakeland. She makes sure that a lot of the milk supplied to the cheesery comes from Lakeland’s Dairy Learning Centre.

“Lakeland College is a big part of our story,” Roberts explains. “Myself, my sister and my brother are all Lakeland alumni and all three of us jumped in to start this business together. I specifically requested to have most of milk sourced from Lakeland because it’s the alumni supporting the future alumni studying at the Dairy Learning Centre. I wanted to support those students the way I was supported at Lakeland.”

The future is cheesy

As she steps into her father’s shoes, Roberts is excited for the future of the Old School Cheesery. She wants to expand the company’s certifications so they can start selling across provincial borders. She wants to expand, to invest in new equipment, and increase the variety of cheeses she can make.

“It’s pretty exciting to see how far I’ve come since attending Lakeland,” Roberts says. “I am so excited to broaden my cheese horizons.”

 

Photos: Top - Valerie Roberts at the Old School Cheesery. Middle - Valerie Roberts demonstrates the cheese-making process. Bottom - A charcuterie tray from the Old School Cheesery.