LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/870890
Asgaard Farm, Au Sable Forks: Owned since 1988 by David Brunner and Rhonda Butler, Asgaard produces farmstead cheeses and other dair y prod- ucts, meat, poultr y, soaps, and caramel treats. The farm also sells seasoned firewood, while the land is used for grazing and making hay. Asgaard, "farm of the gods," in Norse mythology, is the for- mer home of artist Rockwell Kent, who coined its name and whose former rough-hewn studio may be visited during the tour. Among the cheeses produced at Asgaard are the not-aged and, as they describe it, "flavorless," Fresh Cheve, which Butler calls "the clearest reflection of our pasture manage- ment, goat herd practices and, ultimately, our milk quality." Asgaard then flavors its cheve to provide varieties such as Adirondack Maple Syrup, Basil and Garlic, Basil Pesto, Chives, Dill, Garlic- Cilantro-Hot Pepper, and Olive Oil- Cracked Pep- per. All ingredients, except for olive oil and sea salt, are pro- duced at Asgaard or locally. Other cheeses at Asgaard are a Greek-style feta from raw goat milk that's aged for a minimum of 60 days, and Barkeater Buche, a soft-ripened cheese made with pasteur- ized goat milk. Another product with an indigenous moniker, Whiteface Mountain, is a soft-ripened cheese "with an edible bloomy rind," made with pasteurized goat milk. Whiteface Mountain has become Asgaard's unofficial signature cheese. There's also Au Sable Valley Tomme, a semi-hard cheese with a natural rind made using raw goat milk, which Asgaard con- siders, "a most complex cheese with a flavor that changes dramatically over time." " We bought this farm as a get-away and had the idea to turn it back into a working farm," said Rhonda. " We got pet goats and then started experimenting with cheese and thought this would be a way to go. One of our first attempts was pretty good, and then we tried soft cheeses. There's a real interest in artisanal cheeses locally." David explained that they rotate their crops and the graz- ing, to keep down parasites. And during a tour of the cheese cave he said, "One thing is you can work by taste, to see if the cheese is ready."