Cheese: From Start to Finish

Morning milking of Cindy and Heidi.

Keeping Frosty calm by leaning against her.

Bandaged machine awaiting replacement parts.

Rona Sullivan setting up milk machine.

Rona pouring four buckets of fresh milk into the vat pasteurizer to be pasteurized and cultured.

The vat pasteurizer can fit about 16 gallons.

After milk has been pasteurized and cultured, it is ready to hang.

About 16 gallons of milk.

Draining off the whey.

Unsalted and ready for refrigeration.

Seasoned and weighed and ready for shaping.

Super clean hands shaping before wrapping.

Specialty hearts for Valentine's Day.

Seasoning.

Highland Spring.

Finished product.

Our cheese in a pastry at a local Richmond bakery called Sub Rosa.

So, what's the story of the cheese in your fridge? What animals and people helped get it to you?

Girls Liftin' Shit

While working on Sullivan's Pond Farm, all of the laborors were women. This included one of the farm owners, Rona, four WWOOFers and one part time employee. As women we were proud to be capable of lifting everything that was necessary and thus dubbed ourselves, "The Girls Who Lift Shit" (please pardon my language).

Every couple weeks we move 300lb barrels of grain from the truck and on to the deck. 

Bringing llama and goat poop in from the fields for the gardens. Both are pH neutral and great for plants!

Stacking firewood for three weeks of warmth in our freezing temperatures. This day was our one day above 30.

Three weeks of firewood stacked!

Katrina and Shannah carrying single pieces of siding down to enjoy an afternoon off at the sled hill.

The best things to lift, kids. Part of our responsibilities are to accustom kids to humans by holding them. This kid is on her way to be sold to another farm.

Preparation for Holidays, Kidding and the Spring

Not only do the Sullivan's make cheese but also French Pressed scent free soap. Here all prepped for Valentines Day market.

Rona teaching us how to clip hooves. Some goat breeds' hooves grow faster than others'. If they get too long the does may choose to walk on their knees to prevent pain.

Preparing cheese hearts for herbing.

The "original latte".

Cowgirl getting friendly on a warm sunny day.

Goats chew constantly to digest the food they've already injested. 

Frosty and Pip awaiting meal-time not so patiently.

Hyasenth likes to keep her body warm while also observing outside.

Honey kidded the first babies of the season on Valentine's Day. This kid is the first of four. Honey is one mother who insists on birthing independently, without our help.

Lochsa, the goats' guard dog, stays awake and on guard at night and rests with the goats at day.

It's important to socialize kids immediately to humans so that they grow up to be comfortable and friendly with us as adults.

The only girl of the group and thus likely the only we may keep.

Introduction to Life on Sullivan's Pond Farm

First of our twice daily chicken egg check. The good times are coming with an average of one per day going up to three.

This boy was adopted out today to a happy home. These striking blue eyes helped him be chosen over his two brown eyed brothers. Here he's made it through the protective fencing into a hay smorgasbord.

These girls getting private meals in the milking room, getting their toes done and being milked. Milking is slow right now because only two goats have kidded and can provide us with milk.

All different personalities.

Having my first cheese sampling. Four of their market cheeses and two experimental ones. 

Dragon Run (aka Kali). Plain soft goat cheese rolled in Indian spices. My favorite!

Sullivan's Pond cheese tasting and history lesson at tonight's dinner.

 

So What's This All About?

While nurturing my passion for US food systems and food justice at Fairhaven College in November of 2014, I asked myself, "how much can I learn about U.S food systems while remaining in one small city? Is this really the best way for me to get perspective on the current state of food culture and access in our country?".

In response to these concerns I have decided to WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) for four months in two or three states, Virginia, Georgia and most likely Louisiana. I have taken this opportunity to not only change my environment, but also the people in it. I look forward to the difference in land; moving from my beloved Northwest to the unfamiliar Southeast, from city to country, but also to the difference in ideas of the people around me. I not only look forward to the differences, but also our similarities.

This independent study project is to get experience in farming and new perspective on our food system. I want to learn from people who choose and manage to grow food for themselves and their community, about the path they took to get here and how they manage to sustain themselves. Can small farms feed the world and if not, what is the alternative?

This is an opportunity to get credit while getting first-hand experience with where food comes from and the ways people have taken control of their food system by growing it themselves. 

This blog will be a journal of my experiences with brief captions and explanations.