Our Favorite Story

The Favorite story begins with the first creamery starting in Orange City, IA at the corner of 7th St SW and Delaware Ave SW. At the beginning, Favorite was owned by the Orange City Co-op and was located outside of town in a field. The Favorite brand was known for manufacturing milk, butter, ice cream and cheese out of dairy cows. A local named Fred Dykstra worked at the plant as a young lad and would walk to work picking up the empty milk bottles as he came into work. The delivery man would then drop off the milk and other products to the local community members. 

Then, the industrialized revolution soon caught up to this small local cheese producer and the Orange City Co-op sold off the Favorite creamery to other larger scale dairy producers. Shortly, after the Favorite creamery acquisition the local plant was closed and the manufacturing process was brought into their larger plants cutting their costs by using the assembly lines to improve efficiencies. Upon the closure of the plant, the plant was retrofitted for other uses and Northwestern College eventually purchased the property.

The Favorite company was eventually dissolved and the local creamery was lost to the tides of time. As you drive by the old brick building, you can no longer recognize the building as a cheese plant. The town has grown completely around the property and the towns people no longer remember the thriving creamery.

After years of being dormant and being lost to history, James Dykstra and Justin Korver began having conversations of starting a goat cheese plant. Justin, the cheese chef hobbyist, started making goat cheese for himself, family, and friends. Together, James and Justin started researching the possibilities of starting a goat cheese plant. Their research came back with a market demand in soft and hard goat cheeses. 

James and Justin recruited their families and decided to move forward with opening their goat cheese plant. Justin and his wife, Brittany, have been raising goats since they were little 4-H kids and have continued to build an in-depth knowledge of goats and goat cheese. The decision was made collectively to build a goat cheese plant that would produce hard and soft goat cheese.

After their decision was made to move forward, Justin presented the idea to name the company Favorite, LLC after the original Orange City creamery. On February 1, 2023, Favorite, LLC was born and that spring the construction of the goat cheese plant began.

Fast forward to today, and Favorite, LLC is finally here!  We're passionate about sharing our love for cheese and gelato with the world.  We'll be offering a curated selection of the finest goat cheeses from around the globe, alongside unique and delightful gelato flavors. 

But wait, have we mentioned our special affection for all things goat?  We have a particular fondness for the unique flavors and textures that goat cheese and goat gelato bring to the table (or should we say, the cheeseboard?)

Here at Our Favorite, LLC, we'll be celebrating the delightful world of goat milk products.  Get ready to explore a carefully chosen selection of goat cheeses, from fresh and tangy chèvre to rich and creamy aged varieties. We'll also have a lineup of goat gelato flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. Imagine the smooth, refreshing texture of gelato infused with the subtle gaminess and citrus notes of goat milk. It's a flavor adventure waiting to be explored!

So whether you're a seasoned cheese aficionado or a gelato newbie curious to discover new horizons, we have something special for you.  Stay tuned as we delve into the world of goat cheese and goat gelato, sharing pairing recommendations and serving suggestions that will turn you into a true believer!