Call it a “movement” if you wish, but it is truly an art, a way of life, and maybe will find its way to your own table.
The creation of artisanal cheese here in the Garden State — the way the cows, goats and sheep who produce give back to the earth, and how that healthy cheese is created and finds its way to your lunch or dinner table, or even as a party pass-around — is a nifty thing.
“Our farm by international standards is considered a small farm,” Nina White said of her and husband Jonathan’s 187-acre Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse (www.cowsoutside.com) in Milford, now in its third decade. “And with that, in regions that are densely populated, there are a lot of these small properties that can really serve to improve the environment and host wildlife while producing very highquality food for the surrounding community. It is a triple win.”
Tish Streeten is Cherry Grove Farm’s education, events, and community outreach manager. The Lawrenceville farm is 400 acres, and just 3 miles from the center of Princeton in Mercer County. “People visit the farm, whether it is a group of high school, middle school or any grades of school kids, Girl Scouts or corporations doing an outing. They can either visit the farm and just do a tour, or maybe they can make some cheese or see a cheesemaking demonstration,” Streeten said.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/cE9WlMLND1686835188662/tpd9ffWO11686836766769.jpg]
They also will learn some valuable history. Oliver Hamill is the owner and steward of the land. The Hamill family has owned the Cherry Grove Farm (www.cherrygrovefarm. com) property and leased it to other farmers since 1902. Hamill took over the farm in 2002, initially raising beef cattle, hens, pigs, and sheep. Dairy cattle were added three years later, and artisanal cheesemaking commenced.
“We have four core cheeses: Havilah, Buttercup Brie, Toma and Rarebird,” said Paul Lawler, who has been Cherry Grove Farm head cheesemaker for over nine years. “Then we have limited seasonals, cheeses that depend on particular milk or that we only make sporadically. Trilby and Oooumami are seasonal, Trilby made from mid-July through mid-November, Oooumami made with rich late summer and fall milk, August through December. We have a Fresh Cheese I just make during peak farmers’ market season, May-September. Abruzze Jawn and Herdsman I just make periodically.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/cE9WlMLND1686835188662/6867677886.jpg]
Eran Wajswol, founder and owner of Valley Shepherd Creamery (www.valleyshepherd. com) with his wife, Debra, whom he met when both studied engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, runs a major operation in Long Valley that produces 25 to 30 cheeses by utilizing one-third sheep, one-third cow and one-third goat milk.
“We knew that we had to balance our passion for handmade artisanal cheese with a value artisanal business, so that we invented the Simply Sheep Milk Yogurt and Goat Cheese Logs,” Wajswol said. “The Simply Sheep Milk Yogurt, which is a special, healthy kind of product, is unique.”
According to Wajswol, Valley Shepherd Creamery also is the first farm in the United States to make an American made Pecorino Romano cheese due to its large sheep milking operation.” Of the seven sheep milk cheeses his creamery makes, Wajswol calls his Pecorino Romano the “Soprano” in honor of his former Califon neighbor, the late James Gandolfini. “We always think of him,” Wajswol added. “We hear he liked it.”
Lawler lauds the Cherry Grove Farm herd managers past and present, JJ Dabbs, Andrew Insua and Anna Reinalda. “They are my counterparts on the farm, and we have continual conversation on milk quality and pasture diet through the season,” Lawler said. “It is really important. JJ and Andrew were instrumental in changing the herd to a more completely all-grass system, and it was Anna who oversaw our transition to fully seasonal...
The creation of artisanal cheese here in the Garden State — the way the cows, goats and sheep who produce give back to the earth, and how that healthy cheese is created and finds its way to your lunch or dinner table, or even as a party pass-around — is a nifty thing.
“Our farm by international standards is considered a small farm,” Nina White said of her and husband Jonathan’s 187-acre Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse (www.cowsoutside.com) in Milford, now in its third decade. “And with that, in regions that are densely populated, there are a lot of these small properties that can really serve to improve the environment and host wildlife while producing very highquality food for the surrounding community. It is a triple win.”
Tish Streeten is Cherry Grove Farm’s education, events, and community outreach manager. The Lawrenceville farm is 400 acres, and just 3 miles from the center of Princeton in Mercer County. “People visit the farm, whether it is a group of high school, middle school or any grades of school kids, Girl Scouts or corporations doing an outing. They can either visit the farm and just do a tour, or maybe they can make some cheese or see a cheesemaking demonstration,” Streeten said.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/cE9WlMLND1686835188662/tpd9ffWO11686836766769.jpg]
They also will learn some valuable history. Oliver Hamill is the owner and steward of the land. The Hamill family has owned the Cherry Grove Farm (www.cherrygrovefarm. com) property and leased it to other farmers since 1902. Hamill took over the farm in 2002, initially raising beef cattle, hens, pigs, and sheep. Dairy cattle were added three years later, and artisanal cheesemaking commenced.
“We have four core cheeses: Havilah, Buttercup Brie, Toma and Rarebird,” said Paul Lawler, who has been Cherry Grove Farm head cheesemaker for over nine years. “Then we have limited seasonals, cheeses that depend on particular milk or that we only make sporadically. Trilby and Oooumami are seasonal, Trilby made from mid-July through mid-November, Oooumami made with rich late summer and fall milk, August through December. We have a Fresh Cheese I just make during peak farmers’ market season, May-September. Abruzze Jawn and Herdsman I just make periodically.”
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1390939488/1685990646/articles/cE9WlMLND1686835188662/6867677886.jpg]
Eran Wajswol, founder and owner of Valley Shepherd Creamery (www.valleyshepherd. com) with his wife, Debra, whom he met when both studied engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, runs a major operation in Long Valley that produces 25 to 30 cheeses by utilizing one-third sheep, one-third cow and one-third goat milk.
“We knew that we had to balance our passion for handmade artisanal cheese with a value artisanal business, so that we invented the Simply Sheep Milk Yogurt and Goat Cheese Logs,” Wajswol said. “The Simply Sheep Milk Yogurt, which is a special, healthy kind of product, is unique.”
According to Wajswol, Valley Shepherd Creamery also is the first farm in the United States to make an American made Pecorino Romano cheese due to its large sheep milking operation.” Of the seven sheep milk cheeses his creamery makes, Wajswol calls his Pecorino Romano the “Soprano” in honor of his former Califon neighbor, the late James Gandolfini. “We always think of him,” Wajswol added. “We hear he liked it.”
Lawler lauds the Cherry Grove Farm herd managers past and present, JJ Dabbs, Andrew Insua and Anna Reinalda. “They are my counterparts on the farm, and we have continual conversation on milk quality and pasture diet through the season,” Lawler said. “It is really important. JJ and Andrew were instrumental in changing the herd to a more completely all-grass system, and it was Anna who oversaw our transition to fully seasonal...
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Jersey's Best (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2023