LOCALadk Magazine

54 Fall 2017 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Adirondack Cheese Tour Provides Information and Nourishment By Alvin Reiner Nestled in the verdant foothills of the Adirondacks, cows and goats contently graze at small farms – some of which pro- duce artisan cheeses. It was to acquaint the public with these cheeses, and allow for exploration of the beautiful countr y- side, that the Adirondack Cheese Tour was launched in 2014. It was initiated by Cornell Extension's Adirondack Har vest, but is now sponsored by the farms involved. The tour's farm sites – Asgaard Farm, North Countr y Creamer y at Clover Mead Farm, and Sugar House Creamer y – provide visitors gratis samplings of their specialty cheeses as well as other local products, such as apple cider. Each year, hundreds of visitors complete the tour's scenic loop, which meanders along back countr y roads and affords view after view of spectacular fall foliage. At the farms, visitors are educated on production processes. The three dairies have their cheeses aged in so-called "caves," which are basically underground structures which retain cool temperatures. The NYS Dept. of Agriculture has regular in- spections at all three facilities. It takes about 10 pounds of milk to produce one pound of cheese. During the cheese making process water is removed and whey becomes a by-product. In most cases, the whey is used for other purposes, such as to feed livestock "The tour shows a great outpouring of support for us," said North Countr y Creamer y proprietor Ashlee Kleinhammer. "It's great to see all the cars parked along Mace Chasm Road. This event makes for our favorite day of the year. We have the opportunity to show people part of the process and they get to meet the cows." Asgaard's Rhonda Butler explained how the tour developed. "Like most other farmers, I have been to successful agricul- tural festivals and tours elsewhere, including cheese tours. Once Sugar House got up and running, giving us three cheese makers in the Ausable Valley, it seemed to me there was enough critical mass to justif y our own cheese tour in Essex County. North Countr y Creamer y and Sugar House both liked the idea, so we enlisted the support of Adirondack Har vest to publicize the event. Laurie Davis [of Adirondack Har vest] did a magnificent job spreading the word far and wide. Attendance that first year vastly exceeded our expectations."

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