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American Artisan Cheesemakers

Index G-R

All the Facts You'll Want to Know!

Grafton Village Cheese Co.
Peter Mohn, VP
533 Townshend Road
Grafton, VT 05146
Phone: 800-472-3866
www.graftonvillagecheese.com

Cheeses: Handcrafted, Artisanal Aged Cheddar made from Raw Cow's Milk

Aged Cheddars include:
Premium One-Year Cheddar
Classic Reserve Two-Year Cheddar
Grafton Gold Three Year Cheddar
Four Star Four-Year Cheddar
Specialty Cheddars:
Grafton Duet - 2 layers cheddar surround a thick vein of St. Pete's Select Blue Cheese.
Cave-Aged Clothbound Cheddar - Aged 1 year, similar to an English Farmhouse Cheddar

"The Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company was founded in 1892 by dairy farmers who gathered together in a cooperative to make their surplus milk into cheese. In the days before refrigeration, there were many such cooperatives in the rural agricultural communities and an abundance of fresh, creamy milk was turned into a food that could be stored for a longer period of time.

In 1912, a fire destroyed the original factory. Several decades later, the nonprofit Windham Foundation restored the company in the mid 1960s, and a new era for the town was born.

Today, quality and taste are the hallmarks of our company's award-winning, handcrafted cheese. The cheese company is part of the Grafton-based Windham Foundation, whose mission is to promote Vermont's rural communities. When you purchase Grafton Village Cheese, you directly support our mission!

We have two production plants: our original in Grafton and a new facility in nearby Brattleboro, Vermont. Each has a retail store with viewing windows to watch cheesemaking and to taste the final product." (excerpted from website)

Great Hill Dairy
Tim and Nancy Stone
160 Delano Road
Marion, MA 02738
Phone: 508-748-2208
www.greathillblue.com

Cheeses: Raw milk Blue Cheese

- Internally ripened variety made with raw, unhomogenized milk resulting in a true gourmet quality cheese. The cheese has a slightly more dense and yellow curd than most Blues.

Hawthorne Valley Farm
327 County Route 21C
Ghent, NY 12075
Phone: 518-672-7500
www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org

Cheeses: Aged, Organic, Raw Cow's Milk Cheeses

Aged, raw milk, hard cheeses include Cheddar, Alpine Hard Cheeses and various Soft Cheeses.

"Hawthorne Valley Farm was one of the first dairies in the United States to be certified organic. Since 1972, producing high quality, biodynamic and organic foods while providing farm-based learning experiences for children and adults.

The 60-cow dairy herd is a mix of mostly Brown Swiss, a little Jersey, and a remnant bit of Holstein. All the cows are mixed-breed; we have no purebreds on the farm. In a sense, our cows have developed into a farm-specific breed of their own." (excerpted from their website)

Farm Store is open Monday through Saturday
Scheduled Farm Visits

Hillman Farm
Carolyn and Joe Hillman
Colrain, MA
www.hillmanfarm.com

Cheeses: Authentic Farmstead Goat Cheese

Fresh chèvre - Wide variety of flavors.
Ripened chèvre - With white bloomy rind, sweet, mellow flavor. Formed into cakes and pyramids.
Harvest Cheese - Natural rind, firm goat cheese aged 4-6 mos. Nutty, grassy flavor. Multiple Award Winner!

"Hidden in the Northeastern Berkshire Hills we farm 45 acres, a perfect home for our small herd of thirty American, French Alpine and Nubian goats. We harvest all our own organic hay and ecologically care for the land. We bring life into this world, nurture and milk our goats, and make cheese." (excerpted from website)

Jasper Hill Farm
Andy and Mateo Kehler
148 Town Hwy 41
Greensboro, VT 0584
Phone: 802-533-2566
www.jasperhillfarm.com

Cheeses: Farmstead Cheese from Ayrshire Cow's Milk

Harbison - Bark-wrapped, bloomy-rind cheese, sweet, herbal and woodsy flavors.
Bayley Hazen Blue - Natural rind Blue cheese, with sweet, nutty flavor.
Constant Bliss - Bloomy-rind signature cheese, tangy lemony flavor.
Winnimere - Washed-rind from raw Ayrshire cow milk. Wrapped in spruce bark, bathed in beer. Peel away top and spoon out the custardy paste inside.

'In addition to their 45 acre farm, the Kehler Brothers opened the Cellars at Jasper Hill as a commitment to American artisan cheesemaking and farm viability. Serving cheese makers with 7 underground cellars it is the first of its kind in the United States. Trained affineurs mature and care for cheese makers’ un-ripened cheeses. Cellars at Jasper Hill directly contributes to the expansion of the farmstead model and the revitalization of Vermont’s working landscape.' (paraphrased from website)

Juniper Grove Farm
Anita and Pierre Kolisch
2024 S.W. 58th Street
Redmond, Oregon 97756
Phone: 541-923-8353
www.junipergrovefarm.com

Cheeses: Farmstead Goat's Milk Cheeses

Otentique - Mild, mold-ripened discs. Aged 10 weeks.
Gruyère by Goat - Unpasteurized, firm and dense like a French alpine cheese.
Redmondo - A cooked curd cheese, similar to an aged Pecorino with nutty flavor. Aged 9 mos
Tumalo Tomme - Mountain-style cheese, aged and rubbed on pine planks, with ivory to orange crust, deep, full flavor.

Cheese is sold onsite.

Lazy Lady Farm
Laini Fondiller
973 Snyderbrook Road
Westfield, VT 05874
Phone: 802-744-6365
www.lazyladyfarm.net

Cheeses: Organic Goat and Goat/Cow Cheeses

Tomme Delay (Goat - Natural-rind, raw milk) Remember him?
Condisend (Goat - Bloomy-rind, pasteurized milk)
Bi-Partisan (Goat/Cow- Natural rind, raw milk)
Barick Obama (Cow - Washed-rind, pasteurized milk, square-shaped cheese) Deliberately misspelled by her, no doubt.
Fil-A-Buster (Cow - Washed-rind, "stinky", raw milk, large wheel of cheese banded with spruce bark)
Palin Comparison (Cow - made only in 2008 from the last remaining bits of a vat of cow milk)
Other Bloomy-rind and Natural-rind cheeses

Master cheesemaker in the French tradition, Laini combines her passion for cheese with her passion for politics. Her farm operates entirely off the grid. Today she raises 40 Alpine goats and makes more than 10,000 lbs of cheese a year, with the help of just one apprentice.

Love Tree Farmstead
Dave and Mary Falk
12413 County Road "Z"
Grantsburg, WI 54840
Phone: 715-488-3957
www.lovetreefarmstead.com

Cheeses: Artisan Sheep Milk Cheeses

Trade Lake Cedar - (Sheep - Raw, natural rind), aged on cedar boughs, aromatic and woodsy flavor. Aged 2 1/2 mos.
The Gabrielson Lake - (Cow - Raw, natural rind), aged 3+ mos. From Jersey cows, sweet and buttery flavor.
Young Artisan Sheep Milk Cheeses - currently available are the "Holmes" Series. Hand-ladled, non pressed cheeses, aged 4-6 weeks.

To visit, call head to schedule appointment

Love Tree Farmstead, in Northern Wisconsin, is part of the Farmstead Cheesemakers' Movement. The Falks have farmed organically for 19 years, and began a breeding program for their Trade Lake sheep, as part of their goal over the next 10 years to secure a sustainable dairy sheep industry for northern Wisconsin and to help prevent the slow demise of the small family farm.

Major Farm
David and Yesenia Major
875 Patch Road
Putney, VT 05346
Phone: 802-387-2041
www.vermontshepherd.com

Cheeses: Aged, Raw Sheep Milk Cheese

Vermont Shepherd Cheese
- Aged, raw sheep milk cheese - the country's most famous and oldest sheep milk cheese. Handmade during spring and summer so limited supply - available late August until supply runs out. Aged 4-8 mos. High in protein, but low in fat. Smooth, creamy, rich and sweet flavor.

The Ielpi and Major families pasture and milk the sheep, make and age their cheese on 250 acre farm in Vermont. Multiple Award Winner, year after year.
"One of the country's best cheeses." - New York Times
"My favorite Vermont Cheese." - Food and Wine
"One of the world's best." - Gourmet

Visitors can taste and purchase their cheeses and other products at Farm Store located on the road into farm, 7 days a week, year round.

Maytag Dairy Farms
2282 E. 8th St. North
Newton, IA
Phone: 641-792-1133
www.maytagdairyfarms.com

Handmade, Cave-Aged Blue Cheese from the milk of Holstein Cows

Maytag Blue - World famous. Creamy, delicious.
White Cheddar - aged 1 year

Video Tour on Site, Mon-Fri 8-5 and Sat 9-1.
Cheese shop overlooks cheese plant and farm.

Since 1941, Maytag Dairy Farms has been making their world-renowned Maytag Blue. The Farms are still owned by the Maytag family (of appliance fame).

Meadow Creek Dairy
Helen and Rick Feete
6724 Meadow Creek Road
Galax, VA 24333
Phone: 888-236-0622

Cheeses: Aged Raw Cow's Milk Cheeses

Grayson - In the tradition of an Italian Taleggio or French Livarot, made from Jersey cow milk. "Soft, finely textured, rich and beefy with pungent aroma and a nutty, sweet overtone. Surface ripened with a thin reddish-orange washed rind. Loaves are approximately 7" square, 2" high and weigh an average of four to five pounds. Generally available June through March."

Appalachian - "Buttery, slightly sweet cheese, fruity lemon notes which shade into toasted as the cheese ages. The texture of cheese is distinctive, melting on the tongue. Loaves are around 2.5" high, 8" square and average 8 pounds in weight. Generally available June through March."

Mountaineer - Patterned after traditional alpine cheeses with natural brushed rind, a semi-hard cheese with smooth supple texture and occasional small eyes. Aged in cellars a minimum of six months, developing a complex flavor, predominately nutty and sweet with hints of butterscotch. Wheels are around 2.5" high, 12" in diameter and average 14 pounds in weight. Available November through July."(excerpted from website)

Meadow Creek Dairy is a family farm in the mountains of southwest Virginia. The Feete family has been farming and cheesemaking since 1980, raising their Jersey cows to produce the highest quality milk and ecologically friendly cheese.

Mozzarella Co.
Paula Lambert, Cheesemaker
2944 Elm Street
Dallas, TX 75226
Phone: 214-741-4072
www.mozzco.com

Cheeses: Renowned Mozzarellas of all kinds, Fresh Goat Cheeses, Ricotta, Mascarpones, Queso Frescos, Scamorzas, Burrattas, Fetas - Varieties galore!

One of America's foremost pioneer cheesemakers, Paula Lambert fell in love with Mozzarella when on a long stay in Perugia, Italy. Today she makes her cheeses following centuries-old Italian traditions. Offers classes in cheesemaking, in wine and cheese pairing, beer and cheese pairing.

Nettle Meadow Goat Farm
Lorraine Lambiase and Sheila Flanagan, Cheesemakers
484 S. Johnsburg Road
Warrensburg, NY 12885
Phone: 518-623-3372
www.nettlemeadow.com

Cheeses: Hand-crafted, Artisan Goat Cheeses, Sheep and Cow Milk Cheeses

Kunik - A semi-aged, triple crème made from goat milk and Jersey cow cream - rich and delicious.
Several varieties of soft goat cheeses and flavored chèvres (such as horseradish, lemon verbena, pumpkin spice and maple walnut. (Yum!)
Fromage Blanc - (honey lavender, rosemary)
Simply Sheep - Their newest cheese, 100% sheep milk. Semi-aged, flavor becomes more robust as it ages.
Three Sisters - A triple delight - Bloomy-rind, firm texture, made from goat, cow and sheep's milk.

Here is their slogan - a great one I think - "Happy Goats. Great Cheese!"
Lorraine Lambiase and Sheila Flanagan own and operate the 50 acre Nettle Meadow Farm and Cheese Dairy up in the Adirondacks. Founded in 1990, it is now home to over 300 happy goats and sundry other farm animals who are part of their farm sanctuary.

Open Thurs to Monday, 11 to 3, for tours and cheese sales.

Oakvale Farmstead Cheese
1285 State Route 29
London, Ohio 43140
Phone: 740-857-0000
www.oakvalecheese.com

Cheeses: Hand-crafted,Farmstead Gouda Cheese from Raw Holstein Cow's Milk

Gouda - Raw Cow's milk, hard pressed, cooked, gouda-style, very similar to the Dutch Goudse Boerenkass cheese. Smooth, buttery and creamy. A joy to taste.

"80 Holsteins, along with 7 Brown Swiss and a couple of Jerseys, call Oakvale home. Our girls are a part of our family. We do everything possible to make them comfortable and happy while they are here." (from their website)

Their cheese can be purchased onsite. Store Hours: Mon-Sat, 10-6

Orb Weaver Farm
Marjorie Susman and Marian Pollack, Cheesemakers
3406 Lime Kiln Rd.
New Haven VT 05472
Phone: 802-877-3755
www.orbweaverfarm.com

Cheeses: Farmstead Cow's Milk Cheese

Orb Weaver Vermont Farmhouse Cheese - (Raw Jersey Cow Milk), buttery in color, creamy in texture,a bit moister than a cheddar. 2 lb. waxed wheels, as well as cave-aged available.

Since 1982 Susman and Pollack have practiced sustainable farming, as they handcraft their cheeses in the European tradition. Each wheel of cheese is stirred, formed and date-stamped by hand, then aged from 6-12 mos. Quantities limited since they work alone, with just 7 cows. Their cow's milk won an award for best-tasting milk in Vermont, so you know that the cheese MUST be great! They care for their small family of Jersey cows, happy cows who listen to classical music when not out grazing in the pasture! Their names are Wizard, Timothy, Hershey, Ubu, Foxie, Bosco and YooHoo. It takes 7 lbs. of milk to make 1 pound of cheese. During the six month cheesemaking cycle, they produce 7,000 lbs of cheese from their 7 girls. Each cow produces 6 gallons of milk a day, weighing 50 lbs. (That's a load to carry around before milking time!)

Cheeses are sold on site.

Old Chatham Sheepherding Co.
Nancy and Tom Clark
155 Shaker Museum Road
Old Chatham, NY 12136
Phone: 888-SHEEP60
www.blacksheepcheese.com

Cheeses: Hand-crafted, Sheep's Milk Cheeses (and yogurts)

Nancy's Hudson Valley Camembert - (sheep and cow's milk), renowned Award Winner!
Camembert Buttons - 2 oz. size medallions
Hudson Valley Camembert - (sheep and cow's milk), soft-ripened, Camembert-style in a square shape
Ewe's Blue - (sheep's milk) - Artisanal American Blue Cheese in the roquefort style. Creamy texture and subtle blue overtones.

"Sheep’s milk cheese has been made in other parts of the world for centuries, perhaps as long as 12,000 years, but it is relatively new in the United States. Old Chatham Sheepherding Company was in the forefront of producing some of the first sheep’s milk cheese and yogurt in the US. Max McCalman, maître fromager of the acclaimed restaurants Picholine and Artisanal in New York City and co-author of The Cheese Plate, commented to us, “When I ask my customers for their cheese preferences, it is interesting to note how often sheep milk is mentioned. Sheep milk is rarely heard when I ask about dislikes. Sheep milk cheeses have provided many of the elusive ‘marriages made in heaven’ when paired with various wines.”" (Quoted from their website)

Cheesemaking began at Old Chatham in 1994, with a herd of 150 sheep. Today the farm boasts over 1,000 East Anglian crossbred sheep and is the largest sheep dairy farm in the U.S.!

Visitors welcome! Last Saturday in April is "Farm Day", like a country fair with flock-shearing and other activities.

Pholia Farm
Vern and Gianaclis Caldwell
9115 West Evans Cr. Rd
Rogue River, OR 97537
Phone: 541-582-8883

Cheeses: Hand-crafted, Raw Nigerian Dwarf Goat's Milk Cheeses

Elk Mountain - Raw milk, firm paste cheese, slightly dry, nutty and robust. 7 lb. wheels.
Hillis Peak - Raw milk, semi-hard, natural rind, rubbed with oil and paprika. 2.5 lb. wheels.
Takelma - Raw milk, semi-soft, washed-rind. 70-90 day aged. 6 lb. wheels.
Covered Bridge - Raw milk, semi-soft to semi-hard, washed curd. Aged 3 mos.

The Caldwells care for a small herd of Nigerian dwarf goats and make under 100 lbs. of cheese a month. Truly a small production cheese dairy. Nigerians do not produce much milk, given their size, but what they do produce is unique ... and so is the cheese! Their milk has the highest percentage of butterfat of all goat breeds (> 8% butterfat and > 5% protein). The goats are pampered and so are the cheeses while they age in the affinage room.
Motto: "If we can't remember the doe's name, we have too many goats." The farm is "off-the-grid".

Cheesemaking classes offered.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.
Giacomini Family
PO Box 9
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Phone: 800-591-6878
www.pointreyescheese.com

Cheeses: Organic, Farmstead Holstein Cow's Raw Milk Blue Cheese

Original Blue - Aged 5-6 mos., creamy, luxurious. All natural, kosher. Sold in different sizes: wheels and wedges.

The Giacominis say the secret to their fabulous Blue lies in 3 ingredients: Raw cow milk from their Holsteins grazing on organic pastures, coastal fog and salty Pacific breezes ... in other words the magical terroir of their farm in coastal California! The Giacomini Family cheesemaking tradition dates back over 100 years to the mountains of Italy.

Redwood Hill Farm and Grade A Goat Dairy
Jennifer Bice
10855 Occidental Road
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Phone: 707-823-8250
www.redwoodhill.com

Cheeses: Handmade, Artisanal, Organic Goat Milk Cheeses

Camellia - "Camembert-Style goat cheese with mild, buttery flavor and firm texture when young, becoming softer and more complex with age. The white, edible penicillum candidum rind ripens the cheese from the outside inwards, becoming fully ripe when the center is soft to the touch (like a ripe peach)".
Cameo - "Semi-soft Camembert inspired bloomy-rind cheese covered with a variety of fresh herbs. 8 oz."
California Crottin - "Traditional French-style California Crottin goat milk cheese has a wrinkly, geotrichum candidum rind, a fluffy texture and robust, earthy flavor. Crottin is one of our most decorated artisan cheeses, twice voted Best Farmstead Goat Cheese by the prestigious American Cheese Society, and chosen as the best Crottin in a Wall St. Journal tasting."
Bucheret - "Dense, Buttery, Rich & Complex with white, bloomy penicillum candidum rind. Mild when young, to tangy and slightly sharp as the cheese ages. Softens under the rind as it ripens with the flavors becoming more rich and complex." (quoted from website)
Sharp and Smoked Goat's Milk Cheddars.
Also goat's milk yogurts and soaps.

Family owned and sustainably farmed since 1968. Their cheeses are Multiple Award Winners.

Online virtual tours of the farm, dairy and cheesemaking facility. Springtime Farm Tour Weekends. Call for dates.

Rogue Creamery
Cary Bryant and David Gremmels
311 North Front St.
Central Point, OR 97502
Phone: 541-665-1155
www.roguecreamery.com

Cheeses: Artisanal, Handcrafted Cheeses

Rogue River Blue - Best in Show Award at 2011 American Cheese Society Competition! Raw cow's Milk Blue Cheese, natural rind, aged up to 1 year in cellars designed to simulate the caves in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France.
Caveman Blue - Slightly sweet Blue with rich, complex flavor.
Crater Lake Blue - Most robust Blue they make.
Oregonzola - Gorgonzola-style, aged 120 days.

Dating back to 1935 and the renowned Vella Family, Rogue Creamery's first roquefort-style cheese was produced in 1956. Cary Bryant and David Gremmels were selected by Ig Vella to carry on the tradition as the new owners of Rogue Creamery.

Rogue River Cheese Shop open Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-6, Sun 11-5

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