Sasha Diaries #3: A Visit to Jasper Hill

“I can’t remember a time when I’ve done so much hard work and had such a good time.” This is what my husband Michael said to me on our way home from Jasper Hill Farm. He digs cheese, a lot, but he doesn’t work in cheese and we went to visit the farm on a weekend when half the farm (2 people) was on vacation. There was no shortage of work to be done. Jasper Hill Farm is in Greensboro Vermont, the far reaches of the Northeast Kingdom. It is undeniably one of the most beautiful places in the world but that in and of itself wouldn’t be enough to make all the sweat, sore muscles and bug bites seem so completely worth the trip- Michael’s statement is a tribute to the people of Jasper Hill Farm. They are dedicated, smart and patient but most importantly they are welcoming and so much fun- especially their newest addition, Angie and Mateo’s son Reed, who at only six months is already showing potential for the strongest man in the world competition.

I had been to Jasper Hill once before almost a year ago now with my cheese friend Tyler. Ever since we departed that first time we’ve been scheming on how to get back. This most recent trip did not disappoint. The farm is run by two brothers and their wives: Mateo and Angie, and Andy and Victoria. The weekend we visited Andy and Victoria were on a two-week vacation. Regardless of the fact that it is summer and vacation time for most people the cows have to be milked twice a day, seven days a week and cheese is made every day (365 days a year). Then there are also the big picture things that have to be worked on: beginning to build up a store of hay in the upper floor of the barn to supplement the cows grass diet during the months when there is grass to eat and to fully feed them in the winter when the grass is gone, or knocking down the manure pile. And if you ride the crazy train like the Keehler brothers you also plan big hairy projects like adding a wrap around deck to the house you built yourselves and throwing up a new barn later this summer.

We were there for two and a half days and if I tried to give you all the details of what we did in one blog entry it would be too much. So I will summarize for now and rest assured that there will be posts soon to follow covering the details of the making and maturing of each cheese we assisted with.

The three of us- Tyler, Michael and I- pitched in all over the place- the cellar, the barn, and of course, cheese making. Jasper Hill makes five completely different cheeses; soft ripened Constant Bliss, Creamy Blue Bayley Hazen, larger and slightly drier Bartlett Blue, Leicester-style Aspenhurst, and washed-rind Winnemere. The two staples are Bayley Hazen and Constant Bliss and assisted with a batch of each of those and then were also lucky enough to get to help with a batch of Aspenhurst. We also got to participate in a new-ish activity at JHF: clothbound Cabot cheddar flipping. These Cabots are 40 lb. wheels made by Cabot Creamery (also in VT, a much larger dairy farm). Cabot produces the wheels especially for JHF from a closed herd of approximately 300 cows. They are delivered to JHF when days old and then are wrapped in cheesecloth and rubbed down with lard. Jasper Hill is keeping these wheels for 9-14 months. They had recently received, bandaged and lubed, 120 wheels which need to be flipped once a day for the first 30 days and then once per week for the remainder of their stay.

Mateo gave us a Cabot flipping demo- he took a wheel, laid it flat across his palms and with ease tossed it up so that it flipped and landed opposite side down in his hands- all in one seamless motion and was lofted back onto its spot on the shelf.
I knew better than to try this with my pipe cleaner arms but Michael and Tyler shrugged and boldly tossed their wheels up- easy as pie- until 40 lbs came back to land on their hands…knees, or ankles but luckily not the floor. Note: do not make jokes while flipping the Cabots- this will only lead to lard stained pants and bruising.

We also stacked new bales of hay in the barn- the sweating alone made it a somewhat transformative experience. One of the best things was riding out to one of the pastures to check on the adolescent cows and make sure they hadn’t escaped from their paddock. It will never stop being funny to me that cows come when you call them- never. Mateo yelped something out and 14 mid size cows all started galloping after the ATV. Then there was the visit to the lake, the perfect antidote to uncontrollable sweating and scratched up arms n’ legs. And before partaking in the most strenuous cheese making day (Aspenhurst) we tasted all the wine Michael had selected and brought (he is a sommelier) to find great pairings for the Jasper Hill cheese collection.

All in all I found myself much more aware of all that there is to be done on the farm. I’m sure that this was partly because without Andy and Victoria there was simply more to do but I don’t think that’s the only reason. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about one of the most common criticisms I hear about American farmstead and artisan cheeses: They are so expensive! I have met enough cheese makers in the US to understand that it is not what one would refer to as a lucrative occupation. This doesn’t mean that its’ not possible to make money at it but its not at all easy either. So on this trip, as I was ladling Constant Bliss, fluffing Aspenhurst curd (this sounds so much easier than it actually is), piercing Bayley Hazens, or lugging bales of hay through the 100+ degree heat in the barn, I was constantly thinking about how one would calculate the true value of the products made at Jasper Hill. After participating in not only the cheese making and maturing work but also all the things that have to happen on the farm to have healthy animals producing calves and thus milk, I think that a piece of Constant Bliss for $8.99 or pound of Bayley Hazen for $16.99 at the Murrays cheese counter is quite literally a bargain.

I hope that you all will tune in for future entries on these cheeses to help you understand the care that is taken to produce them- or better yet- that you’ll come in and taste them!

Murray’s After Hours: Cheese Store by Day, A Celebration of New York Artisanal Cheese by Night

It was 8:00 on a Wednesday night; closing time at Murray’s and yet outside a line of people stretched around the block waiting to enter the store. Inside, the store was abuzz with activity. Murray’s staff scrambled around moving display stands and hauling crates of olive oils, pastas and other groceries into the back service area while a mini-grill station was erected in the middle of the room by BLT Steak. Tables bedecked with delectable looking hors d’oeuvres, Artisanal cheeses, Long Island wines and local microbrews were set up. I rushed into the back room with a crate of Sicilian chocolates where a group of men and women were hastily undressing and donning brightly colored t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "The Cheese Stands Alone". What the?! Ah yes, the volunteers from Slow Food NYC.

With less than a minute to go, everything was in place and we were ready to begin the first ever Murray’s After Hours, a fantastic opportunity to learn about the New York Artisanal Cheese movement, tour Murray’s own cheese aging caves and of course, sample some prime examples of New York artisanal cheese paired with local wines, beers and ciders.

After Hours was organized by Slow Food NYC Consortium and Murray’s to benefit the New York State Farmstead and Artisan Cheese Makers Guild educational program. As the enthusiastic turnout showed, it was a fantastic success. Cheesemaker Brendt Wasser of Sprout Creek Farm was personally handing out samples of his labors in the form of Touissant as well as cheeses from six other New York cheesemakers. Artisan cheese based appetizers devised by New York Chefs Colin Alevras of The Tasting Room, Laurent Tourondel of BLT Steak, Fish, and Prime and Galen Zamarra of Mas were being devoured with gusto. I was making the difficult decision between the mini-toasts topped with pungent “Hooligan” washed-rind cheese and black truffle shavings or the Cayuga blue with bamboo honey, bee pollen and pecans on nut bread when Rob Kaufelt took the stage (the milk crate actually) and introduced Ed Yowell, the head of Slow Food NYC, Erika Lesser, director of Slow Food USA and Sue Sturman of the New York Cheese Guild.


Rob Kaufelt addressing the audience

Sue Sturman spoke about the tradition of cheesemaking in New York, which has recently witnessed a renaissance as an increasing number of small dairies focus on producing high quality artisanal cheese. The New York Cheesemakers guild promotes small scale artisan cheesemaking by creating a community of cheesemakers, strengthening the lines of communication with government agencies, retailers, and restaurants as well as educating consumers about cheese made in New York. Many of the cheeses featured at After Hours are currently available only at local farmers markets and small family run stores in the cheesemakers local area.

“Go out and explore what New York Cheesemakers have to offer!” Sue implored.


Liz Thorpe giving a tour of the Aging Caves

Erika Lesser followed Sue, urging us all to not consume passively but to "put your money where your mouth is and buy locally".

By supporting locally produced artisanal foods one is intrinsically supporting food heritage, bio-diversity and a sustainable food supply. Fortunately, as evident by the burgeoning popularity of locally produced artisanal cheese, the Cheese does not stand alone! If you missed After Hours and would like to contribute to the New York Cheesemakers Guild or find out about artisanal cheesemaking in you area, log on to the New York State Cheesemakers Guild website: www.nycheese.org.