Stories have a way of moving culture. Anne Saxelby was an incredible storyteller, and by amplifying the work of American cheesemakers and dairy farmers, she opened up space in the landscape of a culinary world where European cheeses had reigned as standard.
The Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund Apprenticeship aims to give aspiring farmers and changemakers the opportunity to live and learn on working farms, similar to the experiences that inspired Anne as a young person.
We invited the inaugural season of ASLF Apprentices to share about their work through photos, videos, art, and written word. This collection of work traverses urban farming, indigenous food sovereignty work, and some of the most prominent dairy farms in the nation, celebrating the people, plants, and animals who nourish us.
BROOKLYN GRANGE
photos and poetry by Bliss
Battle
To work with the soil
Is to create community
To the organisms living within it
To the leaves gathering together to make a canopy
For the eggplant family
To the harvesters conversing in the beating Sun
To the farmers chatting with the market goers
To sitting at the table with loved ones
Eating eggplant parmesan
It starts with digging your hands
Into the soil
Taking a break in the shade
So sweet
My mind is in complete peace
It feels like
A soft embrace
A little break in the shade
Is all I need
To keep tending to the seeds
And pulling weeds
As the sun smiles down on me
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE
art and poetry by Julie Gonzalez
Weaving history, memory and new worlds in honor of ancestral medicine and technologies.
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE
excerpts from Medicine for Activists zine
by Caterra Cornejo
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE
On Saving Rural Communities
Madison Taylor
On July 31st, I took a plane from Chicago, Illinois, to Fargo, North Dakota. I’d been sent by the Anne Saxelby Legacy fund to continue the mission of one Anne Saxelby, whose work is best described as “ a conduit of salvation for rural communities across the country” (Jasper Hill Farm) I’ve spent the last month in Ponsford, Minnesota, working for Anishinaabe Agricultural Institute (AAI), an institution with multiple organic farm sites on the border of the White Earth Reservation
these soil types are very well-draining and water soluble chemicals can easily seep into the watershed. Ponsford s soil is mostly sand, and most of Ponsford and neighboring town Pine Point s water table is 10 or less feet from the surface This explains how atrazine gets into water sources enough Biolog the EP as US t imagin Christm they re scienti to, and
trips, and noticed only one difference here in Ponsford, Minnesota:
Here we keep our car windows closed
I’d never thought much before about pesticide spraying. I’d never had reason to But here, we heeded warnings from our coworkers at AAI to avoid breathing in the chemicals they let into the air.
I’d never thought much before about pesticide spraying. I d never had reason to. But here, we heeded warnings from our coworkers at AAI to avoid breathing in the chemicals they let into the air
Central pivot irrigation systems are found in fields everywhere, often near roads We passed multiple that were incorrectly positioned as to spray water directly into the street Pipes mounted to wheeled structures rotate in a circuit around fields in a classic crop circle pattern. This technology boasts praise as high as ending the dust bowl.
d States, despite being banned l has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor with potential to cause nerve, muscle, heart, and liver damage with high exposure The study “Potatoes, Frogs, and Water” details White Earth Reservation citizens’ fight to protect their homes from chemical drift After suing multiple times, citizens didn t have the funding to continue the legal battle with wealthy agricultural giants
Central pivot irrigation systems are found in fields everywhere, often near roads We passed multiple that were incorrectly positioned as to spray water directly into the street Pipes mounted to wheeled structures rotate in a circuit around fields in a classic crop circle pattern This technology boasts praise as high as ending the dust bowl
With advances in technology, center pivot irrigation is used to spray crops with fertilizerand pesticide-laden water. However, chemicals can be blown by wind or evaporate into the air, and are found significantly further from the application site than products applied directly to the soil or foliage of plants.
As for chlorothalonil, the chemical was classified in 1999 by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen and highly toxic to inhale Other dangers include damage to the airways, skin, and kidneys When biologist Teagan McMahon tested the fungicide on frogs in concentrations typically caused by normal application to crops, "Those expected concentr percent m amphibia “ even lev times lower than the expected environmental concentration caused h frogs.” Citizens in frequently sprayed areas have reported seeing dead
With advances in technology, center pivot irrigation is used to spray crops with fertilizerand pesticide-laden water. However, chemicals can be blown by wind or evaporate into the air, and are found significantly further from the application site than products applied directly to the soil or foliage of plants.
Two of the pesticides applied to crops via chemical irrigation– or “chemigation”-include chlorothalonil, used to prevent potato blight, and atrazine, an herbicide. The EPA advises that atrazine not be applied to sandy or loamy soils in areas with a high water table, as these soil types are very well-draining and water soluble chemicals can easily seep into the watershed Ponsford’s soil is mostly sand, and most of Ponsford and neighboring town Pine Point’s water table is 10 or less feet from the surface This explains how atrazine gets into water sources.
Two of the pesticides applied to crops via chemical irrigation– or “chemigation”-include chlorothalonil, used to prevent potato blight, and atrazine, an herbicide. The EPA advises that atrazine not be applied to sandy or loamy soils in areas with a high water table, as these soil types are very well-draining and water soluble chemicals can easily seep into the watershed. Ponsford’s soil is mostly sand, and most of Ponsford and neighboring town Pine Point’s water table is 10 or less feet from the surface. This explains how atrazine gets into water sources.
On Saving Rural Communities
Madison Taylor
The 90 minute ride from the airport spanned several corn and potato fields, as well as small outcroppings of gas stations and chain restaurants. It’s the same scenery I’d come to know during every grocery store run or dinner outing during my stay Most of our dinner outings were to the same place– the only good Mexican restaurant in Park Rapids, Minnesota– Vallarta’s Mexican Grill. During the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, activists who had traveled to White Earth gathered for frequent dinners at Vallarta's. The staff were always kind and welcoming. It wasn’t much out of the ordinary for me. I’ve taken part in many Midwestern road trips, and noticed only one difference here in Ponsford, Minnesota:
Here, we keep our car windows closed
I’d never thought much before about pesticide spraying. I’d never had reason to But here, we heeded warnings from our coworkers at AAI to avoid breathing in the chemicals they let into the air Central pivot irrigation systems are found in fields everywhere, often near roads We passed multiple that
Atrazine is also found, surprisingly enough, on Christmas tree farms The Center for Biological Diversity’s 2021 press release details the EPA’s plans to prohibit use in Hawaii, as well as US territories. “The last thing anyone imagines, when they live near a forest or bring a Christmas tree home to their living room, is that they’re signing up for atrazine exposure, ” says scientist Nathan Donley “Now they won’t have to, and neither will the salmon, frogs and fish.”
Atrazine is also found, surprisingly enough, on Christmas tree farms The Center for Biological Diversity’s 2021 press release details the EPA’s plans to prohibit use in Hawaii, as well as US territories “The last thing anyone imagines, when they live near a forest or bring a Christmas tree home to their living room, is that they’re signing up for atrazine exposure, ” says scientist Nathan Donley “Now they won’t have to, and neither will the salmon, frogs and fish ”
The industrial farming industry is not the unknowable and un made out to be. Due to the hard work of lawyers, environmental scien Earth Reservation, we know exactly where these injustices are occurr the crime.
R.D. Offut farms is the nation’s largest potato growing operation and spans multiple states including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. After the 1980s farm crisis, Offut pounced on the opportunity to buy land from small farms, and has been taking land in and around the reservation since. Evelyn Bellanger, resident of Pine Point and member of the Elders Indian Affairs Commission says, “One thing I’ve learned the hard way is not to collect rain from the roof into my rain barrels. It turns pink, likely from fungicides.” She describes dead hawks in the yard, absent wildlife, and the smell of pesticide in the air.
But unfortunately, atrazine is not banned in the continental United States, despite being banned in several other countries for risks to human health. The chemical has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor with potential to cause nerve, muscle, heart, and liver damage with high
But unfortunately, atrazine is not banned in the continental United States, despite being banned in several other countries for risks to human health. The chemical has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor with potential to cause nerve, muscle, heart, and liver damage with high exposure The study “Potatoes, Frogs, and Water” details White Earth Reservation citizens’ fight to protect their homes from chemical drift After suing multiple times, citizens didn’t have the funding to continue the legal battle with wealthy agricultural giants.
Offut knows that they’re skirting the boundaries of EPA regulation. Strategic planning of newly acquired land skirts EPA rules and flies under the radar. “Offutt avoided environmental review by temporarily whittling down the size of its project, ostensibly reducing its potential environmental impact and, with it, the need for environmental review,” explains Donald Carr of the Environmental Working Group. In another attempt to fly under the radar, Offut sells land to an area farmer under the condition that he lease it back to Offut and apply for 3 water appropriation permits covering 3 of the same wells from Offut’s application that the Department of Natural Resources previously refused to approve without environmental review.
R.D. Offut and other agricultural polluters will not be allowed to continue poisoning our
As for chlorothalonil, the chemical was classified in 1999 by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen and highly toxic to inhale. Other dangers include damage to the airways, skin, and kidneys. When biologist Teagan McMahon tested the fungicide on frogs in
scientist Nathan Donley. “Now they won’t have to, and neither will the salmon, frogs and fish.”
But unfortunately, atrazine is not banned in the continental United States, despite being banned in several other countries for risks to human health. The chemical has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor with potential to cause nerve, muscle, heart, and liver damage with high exposure The study “Potatoes, Frogs, and Water” details White Earth Reservation citizens’ fight to protect their homes from chemical drift After suing multiple times, citizens didn’t have the funding to continue the legal battle with wealthy agricultural giants
As for chlorothalonil, the chemical was classified in 1999 by the EPA as a likely human carcinogen and highly toxic to inhale Other dangers include damage to the airways, skin, and kidneys When biologist Teagan McMahon tested the fungicide on frogs in concentrations typically caused by normal application to crops, "Those expected environmental concentrations caused nearly 100 percent mortality in all of the amphibians " Results found that “ even levels of chlorothalonil four times lower than the expected environmental concentration caused high mortality rates in frogs ” Citizens in frequently sprayed areas have reported seeing dead wildlife including hawks.
The industrial farming industry is not the unknowable and unstoppable evil that it s made out to be. Due to the hard work of lawyers, environmental scientists and citizens of White Earth Reservation, we know exactly where these injustices are occurring, and who is committing the crime.
R.D. Offut farms is the nation’s largest potato growing operation and spans multiple states including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. After the 1980s farm crisis, Offut pounced on the opportunity to buy land from small farms, and has been taking land in and around the reservation since. Evelyn Bellanger, resident of Pine Point and member of the Elders Indian Affairs Commission says, “One thing I’ve learned the hard way is not to collect rain from the roof into my rain barrels. It turns pink, likely from fungicides.” She describes dead hawks in the yard, absent wildlife, and the smell of pesticide in the air.
Offut knows that they’re skirting the boundaries of EPA regulation. Strategic planning of newly acquired land skirts EPA rules and flies under the radar. “Offutt avoided environmental review by temporarily whittling down the size of its project, ostensibly reducing its potential environmental impact and, with it, the need for environmental review,” explains Donald Carr of the Environmental Working Group. In another attempt to fly under the radar, Offut sells land to an area farmer under the condition that he lease it back to Offut and apply for 3 water appropriation permits covering 3 of the same wells from Offut’s application that the Department of Natural Resources previously refused to approve without environmental review.
R.D. Offut and other agricultural polluters will not be allowed to continue poisoning our water, hurting our people, and killing the environment. Organizations like Honor the Earth, the Environmental Working Group, and many others are fighting for our right to freedom from harm and a safe environment. I believe that every person has a responsibility towards stopping industrial agriculture s environmental injustices, and I will see the recovery of White Earth reservation and every other community impacted by industrial pesticide use
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE
artwork by Ivan “Chico Brown” Hernandez Salinas (left) and Kristie Cabrera (right)
From a series of portraits and interviews with tribal members of White Earth Reservation, answering the question “What do you hope the future brings to you and/or your community?”
“What do you hope the future brings to you and/or your community?”
Portraits of White Earth Reservation
I dyed a bandanna using tobacco fowers that we removed in order to help the plant focus it’s energy on
tied the bandana in Julie’s (another apprentice) hair and took pictures of her with a tobacco plant. My intention for this project was to highlight the importance of tobacco, but also refect on the many different ways we can be in relationship with plants. Similar to hemp, there are countless opportunities to receive not only food gifts from plants, but other gifts too.
“I dyed a bandanna using tobacco fowers that we removed in order to help the plant focus it’s energy on growing the leaves. I then tied the bandana in Julie’s (another apprentice) hair and took pictures of her with a tobacco plant. My intention for this project was to highlight the importance of tobacco, but also refect on the many different ways we can be in relationship with plants. Similar to hemp, there are countless opportunities to receive not only food gifts from plants, but other gifts too.” - KC
Ivan “Chico Brown” Hernandez, Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute
Kristie Cabrera, Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute
growing the leaves. I then
ASLF Anishinaabe August crew: clockwise from top left, Isabel Mosley, Ivan Hernandez Salinas, Kristie Cabrera, Madison Taylor, Caterra Cornejo, Julie Gonzalez
Cheesemaking at Uplands
Isabel Mosley, Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute
refections by Isabel Mosley (left) photos by Madison Taylor (below)
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE
ASLF Anishinaabe July crew and AAI team: clockwise from top left: Dianna Georges, Anvita Sharma, Eli Champoux, Maya Cohen, Kyra Bingham.
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE
art
and poetry
by Anvita Sharma
Learning Lessons
A swim in the lake , under the light of the full moon. Black and blue bugs buzz, as the crickets croon.
Each night is illuminated, by starry constellations. While each day begins early, flled with little revelations.
What is it like to work those lands?
It’s seeing dreams, brought to life by many hands.
It’s confronting the fear, of dexterous spiders, buzzing bees, or stinging ants. By remembering what is promised here, in these tender saplings and green plants.
As the four of us pick weeds with hands that care, despite our soreness we are honored to work, understanding the responsibility we bear.
This land is sacred, and so is the water. But pesticides, potatoes, and pipes push for its slaughter.
Those rivers and lakes that bear fsh and rice, If they aren’t with us, We’ll all pay a high price.
Through native tradition, art, and spoken word, This more than about the promise of plenty, It’s about reclamation, the planet, and being heard.
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE INSTITUTE
an essay by Eli Champoux
If you told me I would be spending nearly a month on a farm on Anishinaabe land in Minnesota at the beginning of the year, it would be surprising news to me. I have been at the University of Vermont for a year now studying environmental science, sustainability policy, and geography. So it would be surprising, but also sensible after all the things that I learned in my frst year of school. However, the experience at AAI was so much more than what was on the website. I had no idea that I was about to enter a whole new world.
I was not ready for life on the farm, and quickly realized how out of place I was. Now when I say out of place, that doesn’t stem from anything negative about the experience. It means that I was a bit of an outsider. A white man from the suburbs of Boston dropped in an Indigenous, rural landscape in the middle of the country. Luckily I would be grouped with some amazing women who also felt like they were somewhat outsiders in this new territory. I want to preface by saying that life as we know it is far from perfect. This journey was a rollercoaster of amazing highs and troubling lows. However, experiencing it with these people helped get me through extended struggles, and ultimately allowed me to fnd a grand purpose in myself that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
I stepped out of our Jeep onto the dirt-grass road at AAI. I felt the warm air on my skin. I was greeted with open arms by Kyra and Maya, two of the farm’s managers of daily operations. That night was shared with laughs and telling stories of ourselves and I already felt an innate sense of community. From there, we began work the next day. A 15- minute drive out to the Northside hempire. This farm grew everything from hemp, to cucumbers, to potatoes, to beans. Everyday, we performed tasks such as pulling weeds, killing potato beetles, mulching the soil, and various others. It was hard work and often occurred under a hot sun.
The farm crew are some of the most intelligent, hard-working, resourceful people I have had the fortune of meeting. The communal aspect of the farm’s work environment was the key to getting through those long days in the felds, understanding goals of different operations, and keeping the atmosphere fun and relaxing.
After a hot day of farming, the best part of the day came; jumping into Bass Lake. The amazing Winona Laduke suggested that we jump in the lake as often as we could. This always felt like the right way to end the day, and a blessing to feel the water cool down my hair. I found comfort in the lake. Whether it was skipping stones, trying to catch fsh with my hands, or feeling the reeds on my legs as I sauntered in. The lake was special and it felt like I had the power of peace in my own mind when I was there.
Refecting on the experience at AAI, I have to say again that the spirit of the community was what made it so great. At Shell Camp, you felt the vibe of a historical, vibrant and kind group of people. We all shared a common purpose that united rather than divided. I get emotional thinking about the indomitable spirit that humans have, and all that we can achieve while striving for the good. That was the greatest takeaway about my time at AAI, and it made me believe in total good, truly, I think for the frst time. It’s easy to get lost and caught up in the cruelty and unacceptable in this world. Thanks to the initiative of ASLF, Anne’s legacy and AAI’s vision, I was able to fnd my way.
THE ANISHINAABE AGRICULTURE
INSTITUTE
a poem by Leilani Barnes
My body swings in delay
As i brace for the drive
Staring out the window
Watching my false assumptions pass me by I guess i imagined it differently
Maybe a farm of dreams
But that picture is pretty privileged
The experience is trying to wake me
Somewhere an alarm goes off
It is loud and sounds like reality
The sunrise ask, Is it true? Can it be?
Is it a lot harder than it seems?
With my eyes half open
I reply, “ we shall see ”
So we must pull out the weeds
And dig really deep
From the land and in our minds
It has been abandoned for some time
If we want to grow
We need to slow our roll
And look past the surface
This hard work is worth it
Water is life
Nothing is more true
It is the basis of me
It is the basis of you
Why are we struggling for answers
While the indigenous have clues
Why do we do a lot of talking
When we should really listen too
Protect these waters
Stop line 3
I should stop pointing fingers
Because it can start with me
Protect the soil
And plant some hemp trees
Protect the children
And strengthen the community
I am here in this moment
I can do my part
Each and every day
I choose to work hard
I am blessed for this opportunity
I am grateful for this farm
A community that chooses life
Over the profit of a man
What's a versatile gift that works well for any occasion?
A farm that fights for what is right
Who gives mother nature a hand
Together they sing an anthem
Fresh flowers!
An alliance as a band
We should listen to their music
And take care of the land
Dear Anne Saxelby
Mahalo nui loa for your radiant shine
Thank you for your passion
And the beautiful gifts you left behind
And thank you to her angels Who carry on her dreams
While getting me one step closer to mine
With this wonderful opportunity It was truly a blessing
A lot more complex than it seems A bridge between academics and experience
You don't know how much this means
CONSIDER BARDWELL FARM
a letter from Aji Fatou Njie
Dear Anne,
I want to say thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done to shape the lives of these young apprentices. It means so much to follow in your footsteps. You have created a route for me, and I know that I am headed in the right direction. You keep giving me the courage and strength to do what I love to do. Sometimes we do not get to meet those people that inspire us, and I am one of those young people that you inspire despite never meeting you. I always close my eyes and think of that strong lady that you were. I try to compile all these amazing stories about you, and want to make sure that I see Anne in real life with all of those beautiful personalities. You make the world a better place to live in. I am motivated to keep working towards my dreams because of you. I have learned so much from your strong character and I would want to be a great person like you were, so that I can make a difference in people’s lives like you did for me. I wish I had the chance to give you a hug and let you know how amazing you are. Anne, you will forever be an inspiration in my life.
Love, Aji
VON TRAPP FARMSTEAD & MAD RIVER TASTE PLACE
THANKSGIVING FARM AT THE CENTER FOR DISCOVERY
photos from Gabriella Perez
photos from Jordy Cazales
MEADOW CREEK DAIRY
fower pressings, photos, and writing by Molly Pfeffer
Flower pressing is like making cheese.
The frst step is to collect the fowers and grasses for certain qualities. Just like the cows are picky about which forage they are in the mood to munch on, I am particular about what catches my eye on a hike. Each day’s yield is unique, it may be sweeter or earthier, delicate or brightly colored, and it also depends on what’s in season - and that makes things interesting. Pressing is the defying step. Of course, fowers don’t need rennet or cultures, but they do need to be prepared and handled with care. When pressing, it’s important to set up curds and stems just right; nothing should be poking outside the edges of the press, hydraulic for cheese, diy for the fowers. Pressure should be as level as possible to ensure balanced moisture release. Then you must wait. Patience and care, folks, is an important ingredient. We wait for fowers to dry out and for cheese wheels to age in the cellars, but also for pasture grasses to regrow after grazing, and for patience with yourself as you curate your pressed fower collage. The fnal result is a one-of-a-kind piece of art, albeit one is wrapped in cheese paper to be eaten and one is framed to be hung on the wall. But both preserve the nature of a place using a similar process and I fnd that parallel beautiful.
TALBOTT & ARDING
by Margo Miller
illustrations
JASPER HILL FARM
photos and artwork from Sage Taylor, Emma Hamilton, Evie Fabricant, Lucas Friedman-Spring, and Jacob Burnett
“We were back in the caves today. Started off turning cheese, mostly Harbison and Moses Sleeper. I learned that Moses Sleeper is named after a Revolutionary War soldier also named Moses Sleeper, the same is true for Alpha Tolman apparently. After that I cleaned Vaults 1 and 6. Spiked some more Bayley Hazen. Bayley Hazen Blue was apparently served for Francois Hollande when he visited the White House in 2014. I crumbled some Bayley Hazen Blue into my lentils today for lunch today which was ridiculously good. It gave me a new appreciation for both the cheese and the lentils.”
journal excerpt from Lucas Friedman-Spring
Cellars
Outside,
There is only the sound of breeze grazing the grass. Bales of hay pushed together like curd so that a complete total unit is created. Inside the cellars- operation!
Turning!
Washing on our friend, Gruffy! Then washing Gruffy. Turning again!
Cheese up to the roof- a modern city thriving. A place microbes can call home.
by Jacob Burnett
Nightly view of Caspian Lake in Greensboro!
CHEESE TOUR
Recipes Inspired by Jasper Hill Cheese and Anne Saxelby
Anne's Beer Cheese
Inspired by Anne's recipe, we decided to make her beer cheese with Jasper Hill staples including Alpha Tolman, named after a philanthropic dairy farmer in Greensboro. Whitney, the award winning raclette style cheese named after Tim Whitney, the longest standing employee of Jasper Hill. Cave-aged cheddar and Vault 5 are produced at Cabot Creamery and aged in the Celllars at Jasper Hill. With this unique blend of cheese to create a perfect taste of Greensboro!
Ingredients : Procedure :
2 cups of shredded Jasper Hill
Cheese
(We used Alpha Tolman, Whitney, Vault 5 Cheddar and Cave Aged Cheddar)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup of beer
(We used a local brew from Hill Farmstead called Anna)
Pepper to taste
Combine cheese in a sauce pan and continuously stir. Add Worcestershire and 2/3 cups of beer.
When cheese is incorporated and melted, pour into bowl.
Serve with bread, crackers and apples! 1. 2. 3 4.
M O S E S ' S U M M E R S A L A D
Ingredients
one bag of Black Dirt Farms mixed green
4 slices of bacon from Pete’s Greens, fried
Quarter wheel of Moses Sleeper
Method
Toss all ingredients with the salad greens in a large bowl and enjoy 1 2 3
Combine vinegar, oil, onion jam, and salt and pepper in a small bowl
Slice apples, Moses sleeper, and bacon strips
JASPER HILL
Pastalaya
Notes
Inspired by finding a package of Andouille sausage combined with Emma's Louisiana roots we wanted to make a dish that combines Vermont cheese and local ingredients with Louisiana spice!
Ingredients
1 package of Jasper Hill Andouille sausage
1 lb chicken breast
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped local tomatoes
2 cups of diced Trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper
1 cup chicken broth
3 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp Creole seasoning
1 pound spaghetti
Shaved Whitney to serve
Method
Melt butter in large dutch oven.
Add chicken and sausage and cook until lightly browned.
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Blake Hill onion
Freshly cracked salt and black pepper apples confit jam
This dish was inspired by Moses Sleeper, a soft cheese named after a revolutionary war general, and apples picked from the tree in our yard Tossed with fresh greens from Black Dirt Farm, a local regenerative farm, crispy bacon, and a balsamic and onion vinaigrette, this salad makes a perfect summer dish!
Remove from pot, shred chicken and slice sausage
Add Trinity to pot and cook until softened
Add shredded chicken, sliced sausage, tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic and creole seasoning to the pan.
Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to directions on the box
Bring pastalaya sauce to boil and reduce to a simmer until chicken is cooked through.
Stir in cooked pasta with 1/2 cup of pasta water and serve with shaved Whitney on top!
Dessert Harb
Perfect as a sweet cheese course!
INGREDIENTS
1 wheel of Harrison
Locally sourced apples
Vermont maple syrup Sugar
Crackers or bread
Dash of cinnamon
DIRECTIONS
Serve warm with crackers or bread. 1 2. 3 4. 5 6.
Cut the top off of the wheel of Harbison and place on a baking sheet.
Dice the apples and combine them with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup
Stew the apple mixture on the stove in a sauce pan and cook until apples are tender and vibrant.
Pour apple mixture on the wheel of Harbison and sprinkle some sugar on top.
Broil the cheese on high until a caramel color is formed
NOTES ABOUT HARBISON
Harbison is named after Anne Harbison known as the grandmother of Greensboro, Vermont where The Cellars at Jasper Hill are located Anne volunteered at the local library, ran a bed and breakfast and Harbison is a soft bloomy rind cheese wrapped in locally sourced spruce cambium that gives the cheese notes of rich creaminess and vegetal notes
With Gratitude, Sage, Emma and Evie
SPRING BROOK FARM
Gabriela Sanchez and Sadie Hammarhead with illustrations by Sadie
SPRING BROOK FARM
Sadie Hammarhead, Spring Brook Farm Cheese
at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro Ar. and am pursuing a degree in Agricultural Education. Agriculture has always been an important part of my life. During my time as an apprentice I have learned many valuable things that I hope to carry with me into my future career. Being able to take part in this apprenticeship is something I am very thankful and honored to be a part of I am inspired by Annes story and how passionate she was about the thing that she loved.
NEWMAN FARM
feld notes on Heritage Berkshire pig breeding by Braden Hufstedler
My name is Braden Hufstedler and I am from Thayer Missouri. I am currently a student at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro Ar. and am pursuing a degree in Agricultural Education. Agriculture has always been an important part of my life.
During my apprenticeship at Newman Farm I did a variety of tasks such as working/processing baby pigs and feeding hogs, sheep, and cattle. My main responsibility w to organize a breeding program for a group of gilts and then artificially inseminate them (AI). order to do this I had to be very organized and keep good records. My day consisted of getti to the farm early in the morning to feed the gilts. I then went through every single one of them and checked heat to see if they were ready to be bred. When it was all said and done I had 3 different groups (there were 94 gilts). Here are some pictures and videos of me artificially inseminating and caring for the gilts
Artificial Inseminating a gilt
Feeding
During my apprenticeship at Newman Farm I did a variety of tasks such as working/processing baby pigs and feeding hogs, sheep, and cattle. My main responsibility was to organize a breeding program for a group of gilts and then artifcially inseminate them (AI). In order to do this I had to be very organized and keep good records.
ored to be a part of. I am inspired by Annes story and how passionate she was about the thing that she loved.
STONY POND FARM
excerpts from CUNY City Tech curriculum journal & photos by Hattie Hill
July 5, 2022
Stony Pond Farm is idyllic. It is a working dairy farm, with 61 Jersey cows for milking, 25-30 calves, a herd of heifers (young female cows that have yet to have a calf), two Jersey bulls for breeding, some beef cattle somewhere on the farm, seven pigs and a home garden. The Webbs also share their farm with a younger farming couple who work part-time for them while setting up their own chicken farm.
Melanie is the cheesemaker at Stony Pond Farm and she will be my main work partner and mentor over the course of the month I will be on the farm. She could not be more warm, welcoming and enthusiastic about her craft. Melanie has been making cheese for only three years and has had an impressive amount of success during that time.
Melanie’s cheeses are sold at a wide variety of excellent cheese shops and markets throughout Vermont and beyond, including a cheese shop in Boston and at Saxelby Cheesemongers in the Chelsea Market. In the short time I have been working with Melanie, I have come to truly appreciate her commitment to her business, her work ethic (12-14 hour days, 7 days/week!!), her total lack of pretense and posturing, her willingness to let me jump right into her cheesemaking, and her amazing cheeses, of course!
While she has had some cheesemaking training and has been working with a cheesemaking consultant of late, she is largely self-taught and falls in the camp of “learning while doing,” which is so impressive. She is thorough, rigorous, detail-oriented and utterly committed to improving her knowledge and skills. She is also friendly, funny and interesting and is just so pleasant and fun to be around!
July 18, 2022
● Al clogs and other cave equ pment stay in the cave to prevent cross-contamination cheese types
● After brushing or turning cheese, sweep the floor so that the mold and cheese part cles on the floor don’t get tracked in and out
● Clean and pasteurize the ash boards between batches
As you begin your apprenticeship, there will be a signifcant learning curve. Read rules 36 through 42 of The New Rules of Cheese by Anne Saxelby. How does your practical experience bring to life the words on the pages? Be specifc and reference at least four of the rules in this section.
7/26/2022
Rule 28 is “Cheeses, like children, must be raised.” Th s ru e deals with what happens after the cheese has been made and now needs to be aged What comes next is affinage, which s the French term for cheese aging An affineur is the person who works in the cheese aging cave and, as Anne writes, “is responsible for maturing or aging cheese to ts perfect expression of f avor and ripeness ”
Rule 36: You can make four thousand cheeses with just four ingredients.
Rule 38: Microbes are our friends!
Rule 40: Understand the coagulation process.
Rule 41: Cheese is a food worth its salt.
STONY POND FARM
At Stony Pond Farm, I have been lucky to get a lot of exposure to the cheese aging process Melanie’s cave s a large (approximately 18 x 24 ) walk-in refrigerated room set to about 55 F and 95% hum dity Cheese likes a cool, damp environment because it allows the cheese to develop properly The room has three walls of meta cheese aging racks where boards made of ash wood can be hung to hold the aging cheese The boards must be washed with soap and a scrub brush, fully air-dried, and then pasteurized in a 170 F oven for an hour before they can be hung in the racks The cave has a smooth cement floor and the walls are covered in wh te plastic anti-bacterial wall paneling
I was blown away when I learned Rule 36: “You can make four thousand cheeses with just four ingredients.”
I defnitely thought that different favors and additives might be added to the milk while making it (and that is probably the case with some industrial cheeses).
But on Day 1 at Stony Pond Farm, we started with one vat of milk and within 24 hours had two completely different cheeses, a camembert and a spreadable cheese. About four hours into the make, the now pasteurized milk was divided and treated differently (different cultures were added and they were treated differently), but otherwise the ingredients were the same (the same milk, salt and animal rennet). I was so surprised that it was that simple. Not easy, July 19, 2022
Rule 47 is “Cheese is art.”
In this rule, Anne discusses how unlike many people’s perceptions, art actually involves a lot of hard work. It’s not as glamorous or as easy as it looks. Much of making art is following rules, doing research, toiling over canvases and other materials, and a lot of “technical and repetitive” actions. Saxelby argues that cheesemaking is the same. It is more about “dishwashing and science” than creativity, although creativity does come into play.
July 26, 2022
Rule 28 is “Cheeses, like children, must be raised.”
This rule deals with what happens after the cheese has been made and now needs to be aged. What comes next is affnage, which is the French term for cheese aging. An affneur is the person who works in the cheese aging cave and, as Anne writes, “is responsible for maturing or aging cheese to its perfect expression of favor and ripeness.”
UPLANDS CHEESE
“At the end of the day, this was a once in a lifetime trip for me. I learned more about cheese than I ever could have imagined. I met some of the kindest, most incredible people, made some of the best cheese, and had an incredible time doing it.”
Cows enroute to milking Milk pouring into vat directly from farm
Cultures and rennet added to milk.
Cheese resting a er salting Cheese brushed in yeast solution Wrapped cheese ready to sell Cheese aging in cave
Aging completed and ready to be wrapped
Admiring all our hard work!
photos and refections by Oliver Prince (left) and Jubal Bernstein (right)
OUR CORE
PARADISE LOCKER MEATS
photos from August Grice
photos from Alexander Sethi and Julian Giusti-Smith
BIG PICTURE FARM
A Day in the Life of a Cheesemaker by
Sage Thomason
I did not know much about the process of making cheese when I began my apprenticeship at Big Picture Farm in Vermont. For some reason, I did not imagine that it was a very time consuming or precise activity, but I was quite mistaken.
Cheese making on the farm begins at 9am. Or really, at 7am when the goats are milked. Or more realistically, in the Spring when the milking goats give birth to their kids and begin producing milk. Then, from Spring onwards, the goats are milked every day, fed grain and alfalfa, and then go out to graze on their pasture. Throughout the week, their milk is transformed into delicious goat’s milk caramels, but Sunday is cheese day.
After sanitizing every surface that the milk will come in contact with, we begin by transferring the milk from its storage tank to the large metal vat where it will be heated to the perfect temperature. After heating for a little while, we add the bacterial cultures. Then, the rennet is added which is the agent that makes the milk come together into a curd.
The next step is cutting the curd into small pieces that have a larger surface area and can release more water, allowing the cheese to become more solid. The curd is soft and delicate, and feels a bit like silken tofu at this stage. After cutting the curd, we separate out the whey, or excess liquid, and begin shaping the curd in molds. We move fast at this stage because it is important that each wheel of cheese drains for the same period of time so that the texture is consistent in the fnal product.
There is lots of liquid leaving the curds at this point and the consistent draining of whey creates a melodious tinkling sound in the cheese making room.
After about 5 minutes, it is time to fip the draining cheese wheels so that the moisture is expelled evenly on both sides. It can be a bit tricky to fip a softer cheese, as it still has a lot of moisture. The alpine style cheese, Sonnet, has less liquid and is easier to fip satisfyingly.
After the frst fip, longer and longer durations of time pass between the fips as more and more of the liquid is lost. As we wait for the excess whey to drain, we begin cleaning.
At the very end of the day, once all of the cleaning is complete, the fresh cheese wheels are dunked in a saltwater solution that will give the cheese the perfect amount of saltiness. The wheels are removed the next morning and begin their long slumber in the cheese cave.
Once in the cheese cave, the wheels will be fipped once a week and the excess mold will be patted off of them with a cloth.
And fnally, after 3 months or so, when it is time to try the fruits of your labor, you get to try the best cheese that you have ever tasted.
THANK YOU
Anne once wrote, “I hope I can continue to do this job until I am old, well-aged, and hopefully more complex! Like a good wheel of cheese.” But she left us unexpectedly in the second act of the play. She was taking on obstacles of an ambitious plot with grace and dignity — growing a business, raising a family, making art, deepening a vast web of personal connections. The resolution of her story will never be a proper one, but she lived her life in such a way that many actors are flling in to write it. Thirty-three Apprentices traveled the country to 18 farms, following in her footsteps, and many more will embark in the years to come.
Thank you to everyone who has given to the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund, and supported the frst season of ASLF Apprenticeships in Anne’s name. To help make future seasons possible, please visit: www.annesaxelbylegacyfund.org/make-a-donation.
