(The) State Of The Art

Twenty or thirty years ago, when the majority of consumers thought about the words ‘American’ and ‘cheese’, the image of a perfectly square, slim, plastic wrapped single slice of cheese came to mind. This type of mass-produced and individually wrapped ‘cheese product’ was ubiquitous in grilled cheese sandwiches, as a baby’s snack, or topping a juicy burger coming off the grill. Fast forward to present day and ‘American cheese’ sure has a different connotation.

Now, when envisioning American cheese, many of us think of cheese that is skillfully and tirelessly crafted by human hands- an object of art and a product of terroir, not some factory plant. How is it that we have begun to think differently about defining what “American cheese” is? How has this shift taken place, and what is the impetus behind the revolution of artisanal, American cheese production? How has the infectious and contagious desire to procure locally made, wholesome goods and foodstuffs, spread to unexpected segments of the population?

The ‘buy local’ wave that is sweeping the country- with it’s bold new efficacy- has lit the wick of the Farmer’s Market cannon, spreading ‘know your farmer’ shrapnel across the country. We now witness the surge in organic goods in the marketplace, the expansion of green grocers and more. How has this happened? Why are we vested in our own food and its source once again? What are the intriguing factors associated with procuring all natural, local foods that are so intrinsic in human nature, that we are re-establishing an artisan foods revolution in America?

While I think we can point at more than one example and reason, I’m going to thank Vermont. For me, Vermont will always be the home of the artisan foods movement. This little rugged swath of 10,000 square miles is responsible for introducing the world to a handful of not only the most delicious and well made artisan foods, but more arguably, those foods with the most cultural significance, history, heritage and sense of place. Nowhere else in the United Sates, does the aspect of food with terroir seem more appropriate or applicable.

The most obvious example of Vermont’s contributions can be seen in the world of artisan cheese. In Vermont alone, the number of artisan cheese makers has tripled in the last 10 years. Purely responding to the consumer’s desire for unique, hand-crafted, small-batch production cheeses, Vermont has seen impressive industry growth, and where the average farm size is 174 acres and the population only 621,000, Vermonters have even more room to grow. Currently, there are over 40 artisan cheesemakers in Vermont, hand-crafting everything from fresh chevre to well-aged, alpine beauties.

There is also reason to learn how to make cheese in Vermont- the Vermont Institute For Artisan Cheese. Housed at The University Of Vermont,  VIAC provides education, research, technical services, and public service to increase knowledge, appreciation, and expansion of artisan cheese. Through the courses available at VIAC, the Institute “supports artisan cheese producers in Vermont and throughout the United States, contributes to the latest scientific research and expertise related to dairy and cheese products, and encourages the sustainability of the small-farm culture in Vermont and other rural landscapes”.

For these reasons and more, to me, Vermont embodies small scale agriculture. It is a state that should be honored and revered as the groundbreaking northern territory that sparked an artisan foods revolution on the East Coast. The ‘back to the land’ ethos of many Vermonters at one time may have seemed quirky to some. Those ’silly hippies’ up in the hills, homesteading and escaping society’s molestation.

Kate in the cellars at Jasper Hill

Well, today some of those ’silly hippies’ have banded to form a small group of Vermont artisans that are genuinely interested in preserving not just Vermont’s dairy industry, but preserving small farm ingenuity- showing others through their actions that 21st century farms can survive, and can create value added products for the marketplace. Together, these farms and organizations like NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) and The Vermont Land Trust, help foster the next generation of farmer- cheesemaker and dairy farmer included. It’s a healthy combination of artistry, conservation, and a lot of hard work that make the Vermont style of cheesemaking and farming, unique to New England.

For me, Vermont represents the best of micro cheese artistry. From the styles represented- soft, fresh, un-aged, bloomy, hard, washed, blue, to the types of milk used- cow, sheep, goat, water buffalo, or the ingenuity, vision and camaraderie shared amongst cheesemakers and the willingness to work together to promote legislative change and financial success stories (one need only look to Jasper Hill Farm, with brothers Andy & Mateo Kehler as poster-boys for the new generation of cheesemaker), Vermont is doing many things right.  After all, having cheesemaking be cool again, sure ain’t a bad thing for a debilitated yet re-bounding state industry.

With the arrival of more and more artisan inspired foods, comes “Locavorism”, the latest fashion of yuppie food politics. By promoting and purchasing artisan cheeses and other local, artisan foods, we are supporting small farms, cutting down on the emissions of transported foods, significantly reducing our chemicals in the soil, as many local farms tend to work organically, and a significant consideration: this type of support tastes good! Most importantly, being a ‘Locavore’  is about more than freaking out about the  spring garlic, fiddle heads and ramps you just picked up, moreover, it might be the key to a new type of food security and finally, a better nutrition for all.

I would hope that farming communities hit hard by the downturn in the economy such as those in rural Michigan, Illinois, Arizona and others would look towards Vermont as an example of one of many ways to re-invest in local agriculture. In doing so, we not only promote our local artisans and stimulate local economies, but we realize the significance in maintaining local food production and it’s link to our safety, security, well being and health. Vermont is working to prove that sustainable farming can also provide a sustainable living. I’ll gladly raise a hefty pint and nibble some Cabot Clothbound to that.