Howard cheesemaker earns national recognition for craft, business leadership
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HOWARD -- Goot Essa, a farmstead cheesemaking operation founded in 2001 by John Esh, has received two national honors this year: recognition from the U.S. Small Business Administration and a top placement in the American Cheese Society's annual competition.
John Esh was named the 2026 Western Pennsylvania Rural Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The award recognizes rural entrepreneurs who have shown determination in building a business, preserving a way of life, and contributing to their local economy. For Esh, that meant growing a family farm into a vertically integrated business rooted in value-added agriculture, while working through sustained challenges in the dairy industry.
The award was presented at a ceremony on May 27, attended by representatives from the Penn State and Kutztown Small Business Development Centers, who nominated Esh for the award, along with SBA Deputy District Directors Angiel Marschik and Kelly Hunt.
In his acceptance speech, Esh credited the people behind the business.
"To me, this recognition today is really about the incredible team we have here at Goot Essa," Esh said. "We are where we are today because of their dedication, hard work, and commitment to doing things the right way."
Separately, at the American Cheese Society's Judging and Competition, held July 8, Goot Essa's Felsa Yehr took third place in the Open Category for American-Made/International Style cheeses made from sheep's milk. In the competition, an annual event that recognizes American cheesemakers for their craft and commitment to food safety, the cheese was judged against more than 1,600 entries from over 200 companies nationwide.
Goot Essa began as a small cooperative of Amish dairy farms and has grown into a cave-aged cheese producer that ships to all 50 states, while continuing to operate out of Howard, Centre County. The company's cheeses are aged in caves carved into the limestone hills of central Pennsylvania, where each wheel is checked and turned by hand. The team says that patience and attention are what give each cheese its own flavor and character.
Residents and visitors of Central PA are invited to visit the Goot Essa retail shop at 351 Wise Road, Howard, PA, experience a free cheese tasting, guided cave tour, or to purchase. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
About Goot Essa
Goot Essa, meaning "good food" in Pennsylvania Dutch, began in 2001 when founder John Esh and his wife Anna Mary started making cheese from surplus milk from their family's dairy herd. What began as a small cooperative of Amish dairy farms has grown into a cave-aged cheese business that ships nationwide while remaining rooted in the same values of stewardship, patience, and community. Goot Essa's cheeses are aged in caves carved into the limestone hills of central Pennsylvania, where steady temperature and humidity allow each cheese to develop its own character over time. The company operates a retail shop at 351 Wise Road in Howard.