Cheesemaking, like home brewing, seems eminently suitable to amateurs. Both are really small-time bacteria farming. A knack for livestock, or something similar, might help because you raise and breed whole populations of little beasties, keeping them fed and sheltered in your kitchen.
Cheesemakers’ Journal is an encouraging bimonthly with just the right mix of how-to tips, recipe swaps, and new improvements in the art.