A Cheesy Trip to Vermont 🧀
I can’t remember the last time that I went on a field trip. Sometimes, just the words themselves bring back for me memories of specially packed lunches, tightly packed schedules, and of course, a day off from school doing something slightly educational but often more fun than anything else.
So when I found out that I would be required to go on a field trip of cheesemaking facilities in Vermont for the Cheese Studies Program I was pretty excited. Mud Season, cows, rain boots, Ben & Jerry’s run, and cheese? Sign me up! As a Berkshire county local myself, I’m no stranger to farms, animals, and dairy production. In fact, I think I might be one of the last people of my age who grew up getting milk delivered to my doorstep, but something that I hadn’t thought much about before in the dairying production is cheesemaking.
A newer trend in the American food system, cheesemaking has been used by farmers in a plethora of ways to not only create a future for themselves and their farms but also for their surrounding community and homes. Let’s be real, cheese is awesome. From a yummy bloomy rind to a smelly washed cheese to even my favorite car snack of plain old cheese curds, it comes in all shapes, sizes, and styles and fits just about every occasion. But have you ever stopped to think about the process that goes into making cheese or even the reasons behind why a cheese is the way it is? Historically in Europe, cheese style was (and still is!) all about region specificification–for example Parmigiano Reggiano and Taleggio are only ever made in Northern Italy. But the US is a little more laissez faire with cheese styles. In fact, it’s not uncommon for many cheesemakers to make multiple styles of cheeses all at one site which really allows for a more experimental approach to cheesemaking.
This ideology was very clear at Jasper Hill Farm. With a portfolio of 12 permanent cheeses of all different styles and collaborations with other farms, Jasper Hill Farm works primarily to experiment and perfect the art of affinage in their cellar (essentially the petting of and care for cheeses as they age!). I won’t spoil the tour’s secrets, but I will say that I was very happy to end the tour with a tasting.
While Jasper Hill Farm was very cool and high tech, I would be lying if I said I desperately needed an animal fix; and that’s exactly what we got at our next stop, Shelburne Farm. As a nonprofit 14,000 acre farm, Shelburne Farm focuses on education around farming, conservation, and, of course, cheesemaking. Originally built as an agricultural estate in the 1800s, this sight is home to 125 purebred Brown Swiss cows, sheep, goats, a handful of ducks, and at least one pair of mated ospreys. While the animal life is truly a sanctuary here, what really sold me on this sight was their cheddar cheeses (in particular their Tractor cheese).
As an anthropologist, I find that I thrive the most when I’m in the field as there is nothing better than the real world experience to give you a much needed context to everything that you talk about in class. For me, this field trip, despite the early morning travel, mud, and winding roads, was totally worth it. Not only did I get to eat some cheese and pet some animals, I also got to embody myself within the daily workings of these productions (albeit quite periphery) and gain a much better understanding of the ethos, passion, and ingenuity that all goes into cheesemaking.
Interested in taking the Cheese Course? Learn more about BU’s Cheese Course and other Food Study offerings here!