An Interview with Faribault's Warehouse & Affinage Supervisor

When Tara Schaal first set foot into the majestic sandstone caves on her first day on the job at Caves of Faribault, her first thought was, “Who knew this much work went into cheese?!”  Now it is Tara’s hard work and dedication in her dual roles as both Warehouse Supervisor and Affinage Supervisor that keep operations running smoothly. 

Wearing two hats is never easy – time must be delegated between overseeing two distinct functions of the business.  As Warehouse Supervisor, Tara must make sure the Caves has sufficient inventory for shipping, that receiving trucks are scheduled for pick up, and that man hours are allotted in the proper places to ensure standards are met and targets are hit.  As an Affinage Supervisor, Tara must switch gears to her “scientist” hat, paying close attention to the cave-aging process of the cheese from start to finish.  “I spend a great deal of time researching and working with multiple people in our facility or company on rinds, mold growth, humidity, temperatures and micro floras,” notes Tara. 

Tara’s journey to her current role is much like the journey of an affinage cheese – time, environment and care have shaped her outcome.  Tara was born and raised in Tennessee and started managing a convenience store at the age of 17.  From there she moved to retail management, and then restaurant management.  It was there that she encountered Mickey and Phyllis Grant, owners of the Buc Deli franchises.  Tara remained with Buc Deli for 15 years before moving to Minnesota in March 2015.

“Mickey and Phyllis taught me so much about teamwork, payroll, scheduling, ordering and management in general,” recalls Tara.  “We really became like family.”  With these nurturing surroundings, Tara helped grow one of their locations, making it five times more profitable over her tenure.  “I have to say I owe a lot of who I am today professionally to Mickey and Phyllis,” says Tara.

After making the move from Tennessee to Minnesota, Tara started at Caves of Faribault in the packaging department.  “I didn’t have any clue how many things about cheese an average person doesn’t know,” she recalls.  But being the quick learner she is, she immersed herself in the business, moving into the affinage department and also being cross-trained in the warehouse.  After serving as Affinage Supervisor for eight years, Tara was asked to spearhead the move of the warehouse to an offsite facility and officially took over the Supervisor duties of that department in September of last year.                                                                  

Tara thrives on the diversity of her role, as well as the people she gets to work with.  Of course, the role is not without its challenges.  Tara has had to grapple with the fluctuations of fluid milk and the Covid pandemic’s impact on the workforce.  One challenge in particular almost put an end to the affinage program entirely, when the company’s former supplier of cheeses used for affinage closed its doors.  “I was saddened and heartbroken that I was not going to be able to be a part of this exciting department anymore,” recalls Tara.  But once she saw how important affinage cheeses were to the loyal base of dedicated customers, she knew something had to be done.  “I hatched a business plan of what we could do, what we could be, and how for multiple reasons how we had to push forward.”  The result?  Tara spearheaded the launch of a new line of affinage cheese, 44° North Swiss and Grotto 222 Gouda, which debuted at the Winter Fancy Food Show this past January.

And she’s not done there.  “Looking to the future, the opportunities are endless for our affinage department,” notes Tara.  “I would bet we will be known as some of the most world renown affineurs someday, with multiple different cheeses to prove it.  Greatness is something we shoot for at Caves of Faribault.” 

Even nine years later from when she first encountered the caves, she still gets taken aback by its eerie beauty during her 5:30 am morning arrival at work.  “It’s so rewarding standing in those caves and knowing you are part of a long, long line of history,” says Tara. 

Outside the caves, Tara enjoys camping, hiking, road trips and spending time with her three children – Dylan, Kiley and Jordan.