in unpasteurized milk that is responsible for Europeanstyle depth of flavor and quality of raw milk cheese. Robert
observes, “Making cheese is an extremely fascinating art. I
am only one of God’s little players, carefully shepherding a
live process, with the end result being a food packed full of
vitamins, enzymes, and a host of nutrients.”
Robert is one of a growing number of cheesemakers
in the Northeast. There are at least 70 cheesemakers in the
dairy state of Vermont alone and 30 in Maine. Robert feels
that his greatest competitor for quality is the cheese imported
from Europe. His cheeses carve out a niche with raw milk
cheeses produced from small herds of cows that have plenty
of fresh, green pasture to graze on. In addition to old-world
texture and flavor, grass-fed raw milk cheese is thought to
have considerably more health benefits than pasteurized
milk cheese: higher levels of carotene and vitamins A, D
and E, a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, and CLA,
a potent cancer-fighter.
Robert sells all of the cheese he makes, about 24,000
lbs. a year. Lucinda shares his excitement for cheesemaking,
though she rarely has the opportunity to spend much time in
the dairy with her three small children and household duties
to look after. Robert’s business plan is simple: he would like
to double his production and the size of his market, which
would enable him to bring in a trained helper and eventually
free him to do other tasks on the farm. As the visitor leaves,
three teenage girls are cycling along the road, wearing long
dresses and bonnets. Shades of dark blue, rose and lavender
flash past as they sail on down the road. They are followed
by a young male cyclist in dark clothing and a black hat, and
an open horse-drawn buggy with two passengers. Several of
the young people are laughing, and they graciously smile
and wave as they pedal by. It is, indeed, a sunny valley.