Mikaela Educational Dairy

Description

Welcome to the Mikaela Educational Dairy! This is a bioconstruction project created during the second bioconstruction course with the Navarre Employment Service. It was built in the summer of 2018, from June to September. In total, 20 students and 10 teachers carried out the project, led by Iñaki Urkia, a bioclimatic architect. All the materials used were environmentally respectful.

The building has two floors of 50 m2 each. Upstairs, in the production room, you’ll get hands-on and make your own cheese, and you can also take courses related to production, ageing and presentation. Downstairs, 4 metres underground, is the ageing cellar. Thanks to Ultzama’s climate, the cellar stays between 6 and 12 degrees all year round, with ideal humidity — allowing cheeses to mature beautifully. This means we do not need to use energy: the cheeses age artisanally, as they did years ago before refrigeration rooms existed.

Discover the activities we offer for you and your group, the products you can buy, or even how to create your own batch!

Group size: groups of up to 25 people. You can join individually or as a group. Tailor-made options are available for groups of more than 20 people.

Activities for families and schools

• Types of visits: in all of them, you will take home what you make.
  1. Idiazabal-style cheese to mature at home
  2. Spreadable cheeses
  3. Goat-style cheese
  4. Fresh ewe’s milk cheese
  5. Ricotta-style cheese
  6. Yoghurt
  7. Cheese for frying
  8. Petit suisse
  9. Reservation

• Prepare your visit
  1. Where we are: We have accessible parking near the dairy.
  2. What to bring: you only need to bring a food container (to take your cheese home and mature it) and comfortable clothing. Leave the rest to us. On arrival we will wash our hands and then get ready for the activity: hair cover, apron and shoe covers…
  3. The activity is designed for children aged 5 and over (there is no upper age limit). The production room and access are adapted for all types of disabilities.
  4. Reservation: go to the booking calendar (currently closed).

Groups and associations

• Who is it for?
  • Associations and groups of more than 15 people, aged 5 and over.
• What can you do?
  • Choose which type of production you would like:
    • Idiazabal-style cheese to mature at home
    • Spreadable cheeses
    • Goat-style cheese
    • Fresh ewe’s milk cheese
    • Ricotta-style cheese
    • Yoghurt
    • Cheese for frying
    • Petit suisse
    • Reservation
  • What happens to what you produce?
    • Each person can take their own cheese home, or
    • The whole group produces a batch that remains in the cellar to mature (if needed). Once ready, we will let you know so you can come and collect it. Afterwards, you can enjoy it together, give it as gifts or share it among the group.

Activities for businesses

• Restaurants and bars:
  • We can create a cheese tailored to your menu or the way you present your dishes or pintxos.
  • You can come and make your cheeses and we will mature them for you.
  • We offer courses to help you elevate your presentations, learn about different cheese types, or anything you would like to propose.
• Coaching companies:
  • We can help you create a high-quality product that can be enjoyed afterwards. You can combine different activities at the farm, the Caracol Project, the dairy or Orgi Forest, and in between, enjoy our Km.0 menu.
• Dairy-related companies:
  • You can hold your business meetings here.
  • We can make the dairy available for meetings, activities or any sessions you need. Afterwards, you can eat at the Caracol Project.
• Specialised courses for dairies.

FAQ