SHELBURNE, Vt. (WCAX) – This week marks the inaugural Vermont Cheese Week hosted by the Vermont Cheese Council, a nonprofit that aims to uplift its 38-member cheesemakers.
“I love when people tell me their favorite food is cheese!” said Andi Wandy, the creamery manager at Shelburne Farms.
Shelburne Farms is a founding member of the Vermont Cheese Council and is a raw milk and farmstead dairy, which means all the milk they use comes from their herd of brown Swiss cows.
Wandt is the chief cheesemaker.
“There’s something so satisfying about a long, hard day’s work. But at the end of it, when you look at what you did for the day– we’re gonna make 570 pounds of cheese today– and knowing that people are going to eat that food, it’s not only going to nourish them but it’s going to give people a lot of joy,” Wandt said.
What’s special is that they are one of the few places in Vermont where can you see cheese being made start to finish every day. And all they make is cheddar cheese. The difference between the varieties? Time.
“A nice young, six-month cheese– it’s mild, buttery, creamy, perfect for a grilled cheese. And the longer you age those cheeses, the chemical reactions and protein and fat break down lead to this complex cascades of flavors,” Wandt explained.
As a part of Vermont Cheese Week, Shelburne Farms has invited the public to a number of different events. Jim MacDonald and his wife are visiting Vermont from New Jersey specifically for the farm.
“We’re taking Vermont cheese back; it’s a big hit with the family. We bought extra sharp, two-year, we bought sharp one-year. We didn’t buy the smoked, but we have a bunch in our room, and so we’re gonna take it all back minus what we eat today,” MacDonald said.
Dairy Manager Sam Dixon says cheesemaking is something that Vermont excels at on a national level.
“People should eat more Vermont cheese. Look for it in the supermarket, and there’s a lot of great choices. That’s one of the great things about being in Vermont is that you have a lot of choices of a lot of different locally made cheeses. It’s really special,” Dixon said.
There have been pop-ups and events all throughout Cheese Week, and celebrations will culminate with an industry event, the Vermont Cheese Summit, in Vergennes this weekend.