We first met Steve when he sent us a couple of pictures of his modified equipment with this note: What a great hobby! I just want to thank you for showing and supplying the best information and supplies. I’ve moved to a 40 quart pot – adapting home brewing equipment for cheese making. Kind of a double boiler arrangement. I also made a temperature controller
Eric Olson’s Amazing Home Set-Up
Eric Olson’s father (Richard) was a cheese maker during a time in our country’s history when small cheese factories were closing. He was a hard-working, self-sufficient Wisconsin man who taught his son Eric a wide variety of skills, including making cheese from his original recipes and how to weld stainless steel. Richard passed a few years ago, but, now, Eric lives in Oregon and he
Dandelion Hill Farm in Sheffield, MA
Melissa and Peter Martin have been raising goats and growing their own food for over 26 years, ever since they discovered that one of their 4 children couldn’t digest cow’s milk. A neighbor gave them some of her goat’s milk, their daughter drank it successfully and that was the beginning of a new life for the family. They immediately bought their first goat. Now the
Terry Dinnan in Charlotte, Vermont
This summer, we posted an article (Using Wildflowers In/On Your Cheese) with pictures of Terry Dinnan’s fabulous goat cheeses. He uses herbs, like sage, instead of ash to create lines of color through his cheeses. He told us he is as interested in how things look as in how they function. This must be the reason why everything he makes is beautiful. His cheeses: I’m
Otter Creek Homestead in Danby, Vermont
Three years ago, Julia and Frank McKeon bought a house and some land and moved from Albany to Danby, Vermont. Their goal was to have a farm where they could grow their own food and raise their own livestock. They make their living doing consulting work to train businesses in environmental health and safety – Tortuga Solutions, so they just wanted their farm to be
Bob Albers in Mandeville, Louisiana
Bob has shared a lot of good information with us in the last few months. First, he sent us his mother-in-law’s recipe for Creole Cream Cheese (a Louisiana specialty) and then, he sent us an essay, About Cooking Curds. (He used to work as an electrical engineer, so he understands the principles of thermodynamics.) He is retired now, so, of course, he is busier than
Cate Hill Orchard in Vermont
Maria Schumann and Josh Karp own a farm and orchard in Greensboro, Vermont (although their post office box is in Craftsbury Common). Josh was brought up on this farm and for the last 8 years, Josh and Maria have been raising their two sons (now 8 and 22) and farming the land. The views from their property are breathtakingly beautiful and I’m pretty sure most
David Cerates in Tower City, PA
David Cerates doesn’t like to blow his own horn. But, he blew us away when he sent us two pictures of his cheese. All he said was, “Here are a couple of wheels I made, white longhorn and yellow cheddar.” They looked fabulous, so we wanted to know more about him: Have you always been creative? I have always been a DIYer. I remodeled my