The epic Essex County Cheese Tour is an irresistible combination of many delightful things: the beauty of fall color, the gourmet experience of artisan cheeses, and the cheerful influence of goats.
It can be a surprise that the Adirondacks, known for its mountains and lakes and forests, is also the home to many farms dedicated to organic and sustainable agriculture. The tours are held on select Sundays when three artisanal creameries have an Open House event for visitors.
The annual Cheese Tour will be October 7, 2018.
Sugar House Creamery
The Sugar House Creamery dairy farm has been reborn as a labor of love. Owners Margot Brooks and Alex Eaton are highly committed to sustainable agriculture. Pasture rotation, organic handling of pests and diseases, and a committment to humane animal practices are hallmarks of all the farms on this tour.
Sugar House has a herd of Brown Swiss cows (my favorites!) and have become known for their original cheeses. The Dutch Knuckle is a raw milk, cooked cheese, pressed Alpine-style into a wheel which is usually aged for eight months. There's also Pound Cake, considered a "more approachable" cheese for almost anyone. It is made from pasteurized cow milk and aged 45-60 days.
Their farm store sells all the amazing cheeses, along with yogurt, eggs, and meat from other local farms.
There will be free samples, so choosing a cheese to buy and take home can be easier. But it also makes choosing more difficult because I am always finding another one I'd like to get. Trust me on this one.
There are also tours of the barn and cheese cave.
I love the rolling hills of Sugar House. It's like a picture book come to life. Especially when the big brown eyes of a happy cow blinks at you.
Gourmet lunch options will be available from the Mace Chasm Farm. Sugar House Creamery also offers a place to stay if you want a real farm experience for your weekend in the Adirondacks.
Asgaard Farm & Dairy
When I think of Asgaard Farm, two things spring to mind: goats and goat milk caramels.
Yes, I'm a goat fan. I have heard so many funny stories about goats and their sense of humor. And their milk makes the most exquisitely smooth caramels.
Asgaard is the former home of political activist Rockwell Kent, who worked as an artist, writer, and adventurer. He spent half a century there before David Brunner and Rhonda Butler acquired the farm in 1988 and restored the entire property, resuming production in 2003.
While they also husband poultry and eggs, beef, and pork, I can tell it is the goats that are a favorite part of the farm. Asgaard describes themselves as "a diversified family farm with a goat dairy and creamery at its core."
They have over forty milking goats, mostly Alpines with a sprinkling of Nubians and Saanens. The goats are very curious about visitors, but I noticed they backed up as I approached the fence.
"They are keeping their distance," a friend remarked, "you told me they would be more friendly."
"That's not it," I said. "They want to entice you into touching the electric fence because that'll be funny to them." You have to watch out for that famous goat sense of mischief.
Asgaard also has a farm store stocked with an abundance of local products. I picked up some sea salt goat milk caramels, and was tempted by the goat milk soap. But, we were only half-way through the tour. I needed to pace myself.
Asgaard is also a lodging option with their beautifully restored Emerson House, designed by Kent himself, who was also a trained architect. It is wonderful that his dream in the Adirondacks is still alive.
North Country Creamery
The farthest north farm, North Country Creamery, is owned and operated by Ashlee Kleinhammer and Steven Googin. They specialize in fresh and aged cheese, yogurt, and raw milk, which they sell in their farm store, Clover Mead Cafe. They have a popular CSA share program, with all grass-fed dairy from their Shorthorn and Jersey cows.
Grassfed is the highest form of dairy products. This puts all kinds of micronutrients into the milk, which also makes everything taste better.
It has been a full day of pastoral scenes, and the terrain has shifted a bit, becoming flatter, with more distant vistas. Though the tour has moved farther north, we have also dropped down to sea level with our proximity to Lake Champlain, the sixth largest Great Lake. Because of these shifts in elevation, you will see a difference in the autumn leaf status from farm to farm.
The Adirondacks is a place of microclimates. It's not just the elevation change, though, it's also the way the mountains bounce the weather patterns around. Add in the fact that different tree species turn at different times, and there's no end to the variety of fall foliage on this tour.
On weekends, the farm's Clover Mead Café offers breakfast and lunch, with all fresh ingredients of course.
My friends and I met the most delightful people throughout the tour. Everyone traded favorite flavors, recipe tips, and good photo angles for trees in their full glory. If you can't make the tour, many local outlets, as well as the farm stores themselves, carry different local products, and all three farms are regulars at the farmers' markets throughout the area. Whatever your pleasure, this fun day offers many ways of exploring the joys of foodie indulgence, stunning photography opportunities, and a pleasant drive through excellent scenery. And goat milk caramels. Dang, they're so good!
Explore the ways to stay close. Find some fresh dining. Here are some sample itineraries.
