Say Cheeeeeeeese!

Really, what else was I going to title this one?

I spent the afternoon on Saturday, July 26 at the Third Annual Finger Lakes Cheese Festival in beautiful Odessa, NY.  This quiet rural town in the Southern Finger Lakes region of Upstate NY has a population of just over 600. No, that's not a misprint. The festival, now in its third year, was expected to draw between 3,000 to 5,000 people, which (by my unofficial count) seemed low. This means that for a brief afternoon, the population of this sleepy little burg was upped by a factor of 10. Yikes.

The event was held at the "Sunset View Creamery", a "century" family-run farm high atop a hill in Odessa with, well, a beautiful view of the sunset in an idyllic setting. There haven't been this many people descending on a farm in Upstate NY since Jimi Hendrix played at Max Yasgur's in 1969. Call it "Cheesestock".

Don't let this picture fool you; this is just a small section of the huge parking area.

Along with the massive explosion in wineries in the Finger Lakes Region has come an increased interest in the region's farms, which produce some of the finest cheeses in the Northeast. Along with the various "wine trails" which are usually centered around one or more of the lakes in the region, there is now a Finger Lakes Cheese Trail, which promotes the fine cheeses in the region.

The family farmers at Sunset View Creamery did a fantastic job of promoting and staging this event; people were lined up for parking well before the 10AM opening. Vendor tents were set up, and a full schedule of events were planned, ranging from the informative (seminars on cheese-making, workshops on beer and cheese pairing) to fun (hay rides, goat milking) to the, well...I'm not sure what adjective to use to describe "Bossy Bingo", but you can use your imagination. Yes, it's exactly what you think.

The admission fee was a more than reasonable $2. While waiting in line for our wristbands, live music wafted over the crowd. The guitar player was doing a serviceable job of a Neil Young song. Always a good sign.

In addition to the numerous vendors, there was a heavy emphasis on education. As I mentioned, Sunset View Creamery is a working farm, run by fourth- and fifth-generation farmers. This is not some massive factory farm, but rather the kind of family farm that is largely disappearing from the rural landscape. Kudos to the Hoffman family for opening up their farm to thousands of strangers. While there, visitors could get up close and personal to the cattle on the farm, along with some of the other residents such as pigs, chickens and goats, as well as some very special guests.

You can call me Al-paca

I think this is "Uncle" from Charlotte's Web

Other participating vendors and farmers brought along baby pigs, and even a couple Alpacas, who were both shy, but garnered a lot of attention. A honey vendor was there, and I had quite an informative conversation with a six-year-old visitor who told me all about the honeybee display on the vendor's table, even telling me where to find the Queen in the hive. Good times.

That's the Queen with the green dot. I'm pretty sure that's not genetic.

I grew up in rural Southeast Michigan, and while I have more than a passing familiarity with what goes on in a family farm, my kids have grown up in the city and are much further removed from the day-to-day workings of responsible animal husbandry. It was fun watching them get up close with the residents of the farm.

Other vendors were there selling everything from dog biscuits to homemade soaps (the goat milk soaps were particularly popular). There were purveyors of olive oils, representatives from local tourism agencies, and even a massage station for those weary souls who needed a break. Pulled Pork and other goodies were available from one of my favorite food vendors, Burke's Barbeque, who brought their unique portable smokehouse to the event.

Photo provided by Burke's Barbecue

But the highlight of the event was, of course the cheese. There was cheese everywhere; it was like a Monty Python sketch (only this time, yes, the cheese shop actually had cheese).

So much cheese, so little time

If there was one problem, it was perhaps that the festival was a victim of its own success. The lines tended to be long, but the crowd was generally understanding and reasonable. Vendors were exceptionally patient, educational, and quick to share knowledge and information. It was one of the most polite crowds I've ever seen (which is really typical of rural Upstate NY, in my experience).

Because bacon. Yeah, it was really good.

These were too cute to pass up.

I could go into excruciating detail about the cheeses I tasted, the ones I finally purchased, and the amazing range of experiences I had. But for purposes of brevity, I'll say this: it was a remarkable experience, particularly since it was held on the grounds of an actual working farm. There's often a huge disconnect between the food on our plate and our knowledge of where it comes from. To witness firsthand the dedication of these working family famers, the love and care they show the animals in their care, and their amazing stewardship of the land entrusted to them is extremely admirable. 

So here's the haul I took home: A selection of cheeses from Sunset View Creamery, "Heaven Scent Farm" in Cohocton, NY,  and Englebert Farms in Nichols NY, homemade soaps from "angelicglow" and "West Creek Family Farm", homemade dog biscuits from Bo's Bones, amazing fudge from Heavenly Treats in Corning, NY, the aforementioned "baby bear" honey from Berkshire Hills Honey Bee Farm, and even a cheese slicer from the store on the farm property. All local products from small companies and family farms. There were just way too many delicious choices to come home with everything I would have liked. I can't wait until next year.

We're gonna need a bigger fridge...

* A note about the soaps I purchased: In the interest of full disclosure and family unity, I purchase most of my soaps from the excellent WaxWorx Custom Candles and Gifts, a company run by my cousin Stephy. Her products are amazing, and I encourage you to also give her careful consideration when considering a soap purchase.