North Sky Farm ‘Halo’ Organic Artisan Crème de Fromage, Illinois

Aromatic at the rind yet remarkably mild within, North Sky Farm ‘Halo’ Organic Artisan Crème de Fromage, Illinois pairs a soft, spoonable texture with fresh, milky flavor and a gently cultured finish. Inspired by traditional French Saint-Marcellin, Halo is an original North Sky Farm cheese ripened to develop its distinctive wrinkled surface and supple interior. Farmers and cheesemakers Mariah and Travis Hurt make it in their on-farm creamery from certified organic cow's milk, bringing their pasture-based dairy farming and small-batch cheesemaking into one of the farm's most sought-after cheeses.

Product Details:

• Producer: North Sky Farm
• Owners: Mariah Hurt and Travis Hurt
• Cheesemakers: Mariah Hurt and Travis Hurt
• Style: Artisan Crème de Fromage inspired by Saint-Marcellin
• Milk: Certified organic pasteurized cow's milk
• Rennet: Vegetable-based rennet
• Ingredients: Organic pasteurized cow's milk, vegetable-based rennet, salt, cultures
• Ripening: Surface-ripened with “geo” cultures
• Rind: Naturally wrinkled ripened surface
• Production: Small-batch, on-farm creamery
• Farming: Grass-fed dairy production
• Dietary: Vegetarian
• Storage: Refrigerated

Sensory Description:

Halo announces itself with an aromatic, cultured rind and a distinctive wrinkled surface, but the interior is notably gentle. The paste is soft, creamy, and increasingly spoonable as the cheese ripens, carrying fresh milk, cultured cream, and subtle savory notes. Its aroma suggests more intensity than the flavor ultimately delivers, making Halo both expressive and unusually approachable for a surface-ripened cheese.

Producer’s Background:

Mariah and Travis Hurt are the farmers and cheesemakers behind North Sky Farm, a Certified Organic micro-dairy built around pasture-based farming and an on-farm creamery. Their cheeses connect milk production and cheesemaking within the same agricultural operation, with organic practices and land stewardship forming the foundation of the farm's approach. Halo is one of their original cheeses and has become the farm's farmers' market bestseller, offering a distinctly North Sky interpretation of the soft, ripened cheeses that inspired it. Its balance of aromatic rind, mild flavor, and yielding texture captures the Hurts' goal of making artisan cheese feel both special and entirely at home on the everyday table.

Serving Suggestions:

Allow Halo to temper outside the refrigerator before serving so the interior can soften and become more expressive. Serve with a crusty baguette, crackers, roasted garlic, olives, honey, or fresh and dried fruit. For a warm preparation, gently heat the whole cheese until soft, then top with roasted garlic, good olive oil, and flaky salt and serve with sliced baguette for scooping. Its mild, creamy center also makes Halo an easy bridge between approachable cheese boards and more adventurous washed or surface-ripened styles.