LOCALadk Magazine

52 Spring 2020 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Asgaard Farm and Dair y 74 Asgaard Way Ausable Forks, New York www.asgaardfarm.com Rhonda Butler and David Brunner did not move to the Adirondacks to become cheese-makers; they moved to the Adirondacks because of a love for the area. They purchased Asgaard Farm, which was previously the home of the famous writer and activist Rockwell Kent. The farm was in disrepair, but all of the elements for hosting goats was there, so they decided to raise these incredibly frisky animals and eventu- ally transitioned into making a variety of goat-cheese prod- ucts. They chose goats that were resilient in cold weather, and set up shop. David was a civil engineer and banker before undertak- ing a career as full-time farmer. Rhonda came from a back- ground in software and banking. They met in San Francisco and worked around the world before settling in the Adiron- dack Mountains. After many years of back-breaking work to restore this dair y farm that had been out of production for 20 years, the first goats arrived in 2001. The kid goats grew up, were bred, and had kids of their own who became milkers and led to the first production of goat's cheese in 2008 from their farm in Ausable Forks. Rhonda refers to Laini Fondilier of Lazy Lady Farm, and Mateo Keller of Jasper Hill Farm and Cheese Cellars as her inspiration for making Asgaard's extraordinarily good goat's cheese. Currently, Asgaard milks a herd of about 60 goats. Most of the herd is Alpines, with some Saanens, Nubians, and La Manchas—all bred for colder mountain climates. Rhonda speaks of goats as grazers and browsers. Thus, they graze on the farm's grass pastures as well as brush, bush, and trees in their property's woodlands. This leads to better quality milk—and more of it. They round out the goats' feed with supplements developed by livestock nutritionists. The animals breed in the fall, go through gestation in the winter, kid in the spring, and begin milking in mid-March. A real treat for those in the Adirondacks during March and April is to visit the farm to hang out with the newborns. They are the liveliest, most friendly animals you could imagine. Kidding weekend attracts hundreds of visitors (loads of chil- dren) to play with the goats, experience the farm, and enjoy some of the most spectacular Adirondack views to be found anywhere in the Park. The Asgaard mission states "To be a leader in regenerative farming using sustainable methods with the goal of achiev- ing excellence in the production of farmstead food, being good stewards as a responsible operator with a commitment to all its stakeholders and contributor to a vibrant rural com- munity." Rhonda and David feel ver y fortunate to live in the Adiron- dacks and "play a role in restoring the connection between people and their food." They also feel an obligation to re- spect histor y and art as inhabitants of Rockwell Kent's for- mer home. Rhonda quotes Wendall Berr y: " We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist." This is how they live. Asgaard produces Fresh Chevre, which carries the flavor of the land—the pasture where the goats graze. Numerous fla- vored varieties of the Fresh Chevre include Barkeater Bouche, a log-shaped cheese that is dusted with vegetable ash and covered with a white edible mold rind (the cheese-maker describes this product as "a complex mixture of flavors and mouth feel with a citrusy tang"); as well as their signature Whiteface Mountain Aged Chevre, feta, and a spectacular, firm, raw goat's milk Ausable Valley Tomme.

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