Used as an adjective, this is said of cheese that is produced in the traditional manner, on the farm, with fresh, unpasteurized milk. This kind of cheese generally has a richer, stronger, and more unpredictable taste than the industrially produced 'cheese' you find in most places.

The European Community intends to outlaw the use of 'raw' milk in cheese for hygienic reasons, thereby eliminating the purpose of farmhouse cheese making. This raises a moral dilemma: should we, in an effort to protect our health, eliminate things that make life worth living?