IN a quiet corner of Broadway, dairy farmer Michael Stacey has found an unusual way of keeping warm... he makes cheese.

While the January winds whip across the Worcestershire countryside and rain makes a quagmire of the surrounding lanes, Michael shelters happily in his newly-converted cheese room.

"Let's face it, the life of a dairy farmer is hard, so this is a bit of compensation." he laughs.

Unfortunately, it's not so pleasant in the summer when the constant temperature needed for cheesemaking can get uncomfortably warm.

Although Michael has built up his herd of 85 cows over the last 32 years, he only set out to make cheese commercially a year ago and started production five months ago.

Like many other farmers today, the main driving force was financial.

"We were one of the first dairies to join the Organic Milk Co-op eight years ago. The prices were better for organic milk and we managed, but about two years ago they started to plummet."

Michael saw the price of his organic milk drop from 29p a litre to 17p. And his organic milk used in non-organic products sold for even less.

"With these prices dairy farming is simply not sustainable. You can cope with making a loss for a year or two, but not much longer.

"There's certainly no profit to reinvest in the farm.

"When we started 30 years ago we would have been considered a medium-sized dairy farm. Now we are small. It's all about economies of scale.

"Only the really big dairy farms can make it work - even they are struggling at these prices."

Being organic also brings with it heavier costs.

"With organic dairy farming you tend to need more labour and organic feed is also more expensive, so you need a bit more of a margin. But I can't see much of a glimmer for the future."

Michael's answer to this downturn in dairy fortunes is to take his organic milk and produce something of more value.

The result is two wonderful cheeses with the promise of more varieties once production is truly up and running.

Cotswold Herb is a delicious soft cheese infused with herbs and garlic, and the Camembert-style St Edburgha is delightfully creamy with a white skin.

It gets its name from a local saint whose relics are believed to be buried in the area.

"We are also experimenting with other soft cheeses at the moment so there should be some more in the near future."

Michael explained: "I had been making cheese for our own consumption for some time but to make it commercially is something else so I went on a course to find out whether it was suitable for us.

"We then set about converting a building."

Michael and his wife, Diane, have financed much of the work themselves but hope to recoup some of the expense with a Rural Enterprise Grant from DEFRA, which has been approved.

Michael has been testing public opinion of his produce by attending farmers' markets in the region.

"Customers have been very positive about the cheeses,"he said.

If customers pick up on a European flavour to Gorsehill Abbey Cheeses they would be right.

One of the main inspirations behind Michael's new venture is his childhood. Although born in Canada to English parents, he grew up in rural Switzerland and it was neighbouring farms which left a long-lasting passion for dairy farming and an interest in cheesemaking.

On coming to England, Michael continued his education, first obtaining a diploma in agriculture, and then a degree, before pursuing a career as a geneticist with the Milk Marketing Board.

But it was dairy farming that really appealed.

His parents were living in Stoulton, near Worcester, so Michael began to search for a suitable farm.

He found Gorsehill Abbey Farm and now farms 170 acres.

With the farmers' markets and a growing number of shops stocking his cheeses, Michael is cautiously optimistic.

"Some of the shops sold out of our cheeses over Christmas and with so much of my time now taken up with cheesemaking we have needed to take on a herd manager.

"I have to admit at this time of year I'd much rather be in our cosy cheese room than outside."

Gorse Hills Abbey Cheeses are sold at farmers' markets at Broadway, Evesham, Welland, Bushley, Tewksbury and Winchcombe.

For more information of Gorsehill Abbey Cheeses telephone 01386 852208.