Havat Yaaran

Goat Creamery on Mount Ya'ala. The Yaaran farm is operated by Bar and Avshalom Yaaran, the ecological farm for raising goats and preparing cheeses. It has been operating since 1995 as an independent and organic farm that provides most of its own needs sustainably. The farm is based mainly on a herd of about 150 Shami goats, who are accustomed to the conditions of the country. In addition, there are beehives, a chicken coop, an olive grove, fruit trees and a vegetable garden.

The creamery uses organic milk from the local herd only and produces Camembert Israeli cheese, a spicy cheese similar to Roquefort, yogurt, and labane. In winter months, the cheeses are young and half ripe, and there is also yogurt for drinking and thick labane. In the summer and fall, there are mainly hard cheeses that are aged in a nearby cave, in the style of parmesan, gorgonzola, and cheddar. During the week the cheeses are sold by weight in the store at the entrance to the farm.

During weekdays prior arrangements must be made before arriving. On weekends, white cheeses, yogurt and labane, and even baked Jahnun bread in the sun-heated oven, using a method of concentrating mirrors aimed at the sun are all available. On Saturdays, you can get the cheeses along with bread made from the farm and a salad from the fruits of the garden. You can get the cheese for eating on-site with a wooden platter and a knife, you can eat at the wooden tables on the farm, go for a picnic in the nearby KKL forests or take home in paper bags.