History

History

In 2017, the Cheese Plant moved to a new state-of-the-art, modern, Global Food Safety FSSC 22000:2010 certified facility.

Past to Present Logo.
  • 1985

    VandenBergs purchase Lenberg Farms

  • 1987

    First dairy goat is purchased for Lenberg Farms

  • 1989

    An 800 square foot federally licensed cheese plant is built on the Lenberg Farms site. This is the beginning of Mariposa Dairy

  • 1990

    Gouda is made at Mariposa Dairy and is sold at local Farmers’ Markets and Food Co-ops

  • 1991

    The goat herd increases to 130 does and Feta cheese production begins

  • 1994

    Mariposa Dairy starts making Chevre

  • 1995

    Mariposa Dairy receives its first award: Canadian Fine Food Excellence Award

  • 1996

    Finica Food Specialties Ltd. begins marketing the Celebrity line of Mariposa Dairy cheeses

  • 2000

    With increased demand, additional milk is purchased from Hewitt’s Dairy and a new larger vat is purchased

  • 2001

    With an increase in production, a new milk parlour and barn is built on Lenberg Farms

  • 2003

    Mariposa Dairy starts producing Cranberry Chevre

  • 2004

    VandenBergs purchase another farm and shift mixing and packaging to Lindsay

  • 2006

    Products are introduced into US market (Atalanta Corporation) and Cranberry Chevre wins Premiers’ Award

  • 2007

    Mariposa Dairy moves from Lenberg Farms to a new cheese plant facility in Lindsay. The cheese plant is Kosher. The VandenBergs receive the City of Kawartha Lakes Entrepreneurial Excellence Award

  • 2010

    Mariposa Dairy cheese is showcased at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics in the Canada Pavilion

  • 2011

    Lenberg Farms purchases British Milking Sheep. Lenberg Farms is awarded the Premier’s Award for innovative traceability program for livestock keeping. The VandenBergs are awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Conference of the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporation. Mariposa Dairy is awarded the Premier’s Award for Innovation for the development of ‘MegaPress’.  Lindsay Bandaged Goat cheddar makes its debut at the American Cheese Society second place as ‘Best In the Show’. And Mariposa Dairy started making Tania, a pecorina styled aged sheep cheese which also wins many awards over the upcoming years.

  • 2012

    Mariposa Dairy is certified with their global food safety management program: FSSC 22000. Lenberg Farms purchases a new milking system

  • 2013

    Mariposa Dairy builds a new Aging Room for the award-winning artisan cheeses

  • 2014

    A new facility begins being built around the corner

  • 2015

    In June, Phase One is complete with cheese production and shipping moved to the new plant facility. Bruce and Sharon begin working with the Bons, a family of 7 from Holland, who were looking for a mature herd in Canada

  • 2017

    In April, Phase Two is complete and milk receiving and cheese making move into the new facility.

  • 2018

    Bruce & Sharon win EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Ontario in the category ‘Consumer Products & Services’

  • 2019

    Lenberg Farms introduces Thea, a sheep milk bandage wrap cheddar. Thea wins Grand Champion at the Royal in October

  • 2020

    Covid 19 Pandemic – Mariposa Dairy is considered an essential service. We continue to receive milk and manufacture cheese. We kept our amazing staff safe with extra precautions while production continued

  • 2021

    Purchased new equipment to ensure that the new facility is efficient and ergonomically friendly to support further growth

  • 2022

    Continued expansion of equipment: cooker for the new lines of spreads and a new feta system. Launched our innovative sheep milk logs

  • Present