#InFocus: Local woman's quarter-life crisis turns into a business venture

Berks County, Pa. (WTXF) - A local woman's quarter-life crisis turned into a business venture.

FOX 29 Photojournalist Bill Rohrer has the story.

Berks County is a homecoming of sorts for Stefanie Angstadt. She converted a 18th century dairy barn in the Oley Valley to a modern day creamery.

"I have always been drawn to cheese and cheese making. Ever since I was a kid, I loved going into cheese shops as a kid with my mom," Stefanie Angstadt told FOX 29.

Three years ago, Stefanie left her financial service job in Manhattan and started Valley Milk House. She's producing fresh and aged cheeses, butter and yogurt.

"I turned 25 and called it my 1/4 life crisis," she explained. "I always fantasized about living a rural and agrarian life one based on the farm. I thought that if I didn't at least explore it when I was young I would never get the chance to."

From scratch and with a home cheese making kit Stefanie began her new career. She also picked up an apprenticeship with a goat dairy in Colorado.

Valley Milk house has doubled producing about 12,000 pounds of award-winning cheese per year.

Stefanie says most of her cheeses go great with everything, especially beer.

A perfect place 116,000 miles from Stefanie's old way of life.

"I don't miss a thing. I am so content. I am really happy doing what I am doing. I have access to Philly and New York whenever I want," she said.