LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2020 LOCALadk Magazine 55 LOCALadk North Countr y Creamer y 931 Mace Chasm Road Keeseville, New York www.northcountr ycreamer y.com Ashlee Kleinhammer grew up on the central coast of Cal- ifornia. She engaged in environmental studies at a college in Portland, Oregon, where she found her passion for farm- ing and dair ying. Her love of cows and grass-based systems drew her to an opportunity to own a farm in the Adirondacks. Ashlee and her partner, Steven Goodin, took on this new ad- venture and set up a cheese-making operation in Keeseville. Although they love cheese-making, Ashlee admits that ar- tisanal cheese-making is somewhat fickle, and that her real passion is making yogurt. They learned quickly about the cheese process from experienced mentors that they hired to build their cheese knowledge and repertoire. Ashlee and Steve are environmentally conscious and are committed to a 100% grass-fed system for their animals. They chose breeds of cows that are best suited to a grass- fed model, moving away from Jersey cows in favor of Short- horns and Normandes. Their feeding cycle produces smaller quantities of milk, but a product that is luscious enough to produce cream-rich cheeses and yogurt. Although they began with raw milk cheeses, they have moved on to pasteurized varieties as they transition to more yogurt production. The time involved in flipping, wiping, and rotating cheeses during the affinage is ver y labor intensive for a small dair y. When asked about their quality of life, Ashlee stated: We like to be on the production side of things, especially something as grounding as farmstead dair y processing. We are essentially turning energy from the sun into delicious, nutritious food. Food production is one form of reviving the traditions of our elders, the majority of which has been lost to modern culture. I'm happy to be part of this revolution. North Countr y Creamer y produces a variety of cheeses, in- cluding Herdmaster (a Parmesan-style cheese), havarti, pep- per jack, Camembert, farmer's cheese, and an incredibly rich organic yogurt. Chefs in the region are huge fans of the artisan cheese-craft- ers in the Adirondacks. Chef Kim Scarpa from Lake Placid's Green Goddess Health Food Store and Scape Cafe states: I love all three farms! It's great to be able to visit and get to know the people who make the cheese that I use as a chef. In fact, one of my favorite events in the Adirondacks is the Cheese Tour, where you can get close and personal with the animals and the cheese-makers. I haven't missed one yet! Just outside the Adirondack Park in Utica, New York, Chef Tim Hardiman is the owner and operator of the nationally ac- claimed Tailor and the Cook restaurant. Tim has never lost his connection with the Adirondacks and Adirondack artisans. He states: I have been lucky to procure and enjoy the cheeses from Sugar House Creamer y for the past few years. While I ad- mit to being a bit partial to products from the Adirondack Park, I consider the cheeses from Sugar House among the best in the state. A true farmstead creamer y, only the milk from their herd of Brown Swiss cows is used to make three outstanding cheeses—all different in style but remarkably complex in their own right. Sugar House is a testament to what sustainable farming, love for the herd, and a passion for good dair y can yield. If you are ever in the area, Sugar House offers more than just cheese! A fantastic little farm store right on the property has all sorts of local foods and sundries, plus a cool selection of secondhand records! Mar- got and Alex also operate two peaceful and cozy Airbnb's on the property if you are looking for a genuine slice of ADK relaxation, with some fine cheese to boot! Jarrad Lang is executive chef at the nationally acclaimed, four-diamond restaurant The View at the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid. When asked about Adirondack cheese-makers, he stated: In the restaurants we use several cheeses from both Asgaard Farm and Sugar House Creamer y. Both farms do an incredible job and produce world-class cheese. I think Asgaard's goat cheeses are as good as any I can remember from France, and Sugar House is making some of my favorite cheeses anywhere. I feel ver y lucky as a chef and a cheese lover to have these farms right in our backyard. Cheese from these three artisan farms can be found in a variety of Adirondack restaurants, Nori's Market in Saranac Lake, Green Goddess in Lake Placid, and of course, on the farms if you want the full experience.

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