Twelve years later, the Firefly team has grown and prospered by selling a divine selection of nationally and internationally award-winning cheeses at their Accident, Maryland, market, and in retail locations like Whole Foods. If you’re in the DC metropolitan area, you may have even tasted their cheese on your sweetgreen salad.

Greening Operations

Michael and Pablo have always understood the importance of fairness and sustainability in business. Firefly sources milk from local goat farmers within a 30-mile radius who are paid on the quality of their milk and are committed to humane animal husbandry. The creamery eliminates waste by productively reusing its protein-rich cheese by product, sweet whey, for animal feed.

In 2014, The Conservation Fund’s Natural Capital Investment Fund provided loan capital and technical support to Firefly for the purchase and installation of a 27 kW solar PV system, which will reduce Firefly’s energy bill by 33%. This new system will produce over 200,000 kW of electricity over 7 years, and will ensure many more sunny and delicious days ahead for Firefly.

Why This Project Matters

Our Natural Capital Investment Fund was created to support businesses like Firefly. We give them an alternative to traditional lending institutions, and many of them choose to partner with us because we better understand their needs and share similar missions of promoting sustainable development and positively impacting human health and the natural environment. Grease recyclers, climbing harness manufacturers, loggers and farmers are just a few of our business partners. Learn more about our work here.

Learn more

Firefly Farms Creamery & Market
News article: D.C. couple create a foodie’s oasis — and a handful of jobs — in Western Maryland (Washington Post)
Watch the video of the solar construction