The Cheesemaker
by Robin Elsbeth Jenkins
Ten miles south of Houlton, and just down the road
from Pioneer Place in Smyrna, a young couple is building
their life together, raising their children and adhering to the
tenets of their Christian faith and community – the Old
Order Amish. Work and family life mirror their beliefs. To
the Amish, the choice of a vocation is personal, but serves
the needs of the community; while family life provides the
community’s strong foundation. At 28, Robert Kauffman is
an accomplished cheesemaker, and his wife, Lucinda, is his
helpmeet.
It’s mid-May in Smyrna, Maine. Lush green pastures
line the country roads. The trees are beginning to blossom. A
distant view of Mt. Katahdin is muted in aerial perspective.
Amish farmhouses and barns seamlessly intermix with the
properties of residents who were there before them. As a
visitor drives slowly up the lane to the farmhouse, chickens
scatter. The visitor catches a glimpse of a black buggy
parked in the barn, a pile of tree-length logs ready to cut,
and a mountain bike lying on its side in the dooryard. Bits
and pieces of machinery and equipment are stationed by
the barn. Bleeding hearts have been lovingly planted beside
the foundation of the house. A Welsh Corgi appears in the
driveway with its tail wagging.
A slim young woman wearing an ankle-length blue
dress and white cap is in the garden, setting out lettuce
seedlings.