NOFA Massachusetts: Programs: Massachusetts Cheese-making Workshop Series

About Us Join NOFA/Mass NOFA/Mass Staff & Board Jobs at NOFA/Mass Diversity Unclassifieds Why Buy Organic 10 Reasons to buy Organic Bequests Advertising Rates NOFA/Mass Store

Free Newsletter Print Newsletter Archive NOFA/Mass in the News Genetic Engineering News

Beginning Farmer Program Organic Land Care Program Raw Milk Network Youth Urban Gardening Project Organic Food Guide Ask Farming and Gardening Questions Bulk Order Program Organic Certification Program

NOFA/Mass Outreach Volunteer at NOFA/Mass Backyard Chickens Information Campaign against Genetic Engineering Stop NAIS Town to Town GE Campaign Archive

Summer Conference Winter Conference Soils Building Workshops Fall Seminar: The Modern Homestead Soil and Nutrition Conference Cheese-making Workshops Growing Greens and Roots in Winter Beef, Dairy, and Pigs CSA Management Workshops Gardening, Poultry, Food Preservation Twilight Wild Edibles Walks Boston Workshops Boston Workshops: Beekeeping SE Mass Education Events

Apprentice Listing List of CSAs in Massachusetts Organic Livestock Feed and Resourses Organic Food Guide Farm Sales Tax Exemption Late Blight Reference Nutrient Density Reference National Organic Standards Northeast Agriculture Education Directory Search the Site Related Links

Home > Programs > extensionevents > cheesemaking.php

Spring 2012: Massachusetts Cheese-making Workshop Series
March through May, 2012
Download and Print Registration Form
To mail in with check or money order

To register online, click the BPT link next to the workshop listing

"I appreciate the NOFA philosophy in practice. The organization puts us in touch with farmers who
teach a practical skill, such as cheese making, and then links that skill to a larger system of farms, nutrition, and lifestyle. NOFA provides participants with a holistic education,
and its cheese-making series is a great example of this."
- Jennifer deWinter, participant in Fall 2010 NOFA/Mass Cheese-Making Workshop Series

Series Overview

Cheese-making is a fun and rewarding craft, whether for home consumption or a small business. This series provides instruction and training on making a wide variety of cheeses on a small scale without a lot of investment in equipment.

These workshops are led by professional cheese-makers. Whether you are a newcomer to cheese-making or you want to further hone your skills and knowledge, these workshops are for you.

Each workshop provides an opportunity for you to ask questions and gain direct experience with making cheese. Instruction is hands-on, and participants will be grouped into teams to do the work of making each cheese we learn. Milk is normally supplied to each participant so that they can take home the cheese they make during the workshop. Instructors will also provide a general understanding of the cheese-making process. Workshop enrollments is limited to 10 participants.

Appropriate footwear for long standing and wet floors, and hair restraint, are all advised. These workshops take place in the cheese-rooms of functioning cheese-making operations. If you prefer to sit, it is advised to bring a stool or camp chair.

Important Registration Details

The cost of the workshops ranges from $110 to $60 (see below), with discounts for NOFA membership and early registration (14 days before the workshop).
Pre-registration is required unless arranged by phone with the organizer, Ben Grosscup, cell: 413-658-5374.
Cancellations will be honored and refunds issued (except $10 processing fee) with notice made within 10 or more days of the workshop. After that, you may designate someone else to attend in your stead, but refunds will not be available.
A waiting list is taken after each workshop fills to capacity. To be added, contact ben.grosscup@nofamass.org, include your full contact info, and state clearly the date of the workshop for which you want to register.
Potluck Lunches will be shared at all workshops, except for workshop F) in Sterling where participants are invited to share an afternoon snack. Bring utensils & plate and something to share, or bring your own lunch.
Carpooling is encouraged, and on your registration form, you'll have the opportunity to be connected with other registrants in your local area who also want to carpool to the workshop.

For info: Ben Grosscup, 413-658-5374. By email, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org; put "Cheese-Making" in subject.

List of Cheese-Making Workshops in Spring 2012

Upinngil Farm, 411 Main Road, Gill, MA

- Instructor: Cliff Hatch of Upinngil Farm is a diversified farmer who runs a raw milk dairy and is a cheese-maker.

Read testimonial from Dyan Redick of Bittersweet Heritage Farm, Port Clyde, ME about her experience learning the craft of cheese-making from Cliff Hatch

A) Saturday, March 10, 8am-5pm, Making soft Cheeses, $80
*** Cheeses we can learn to make: Camembert, Farmer's cheese/ Cream cheese, Brie, Blue, Chevre. Workshop A is Full.
To be added to the waitlist for workshop A, contact ben.grosscup@nofamass.orginclude your full contact info, and state clearly the date of the workshop for which you want to register.

B) Saturday, April 14, 8am-5pm, Making Hard Cheeses, $80
*** Cheeses we can learn to make: Cheddar, Monterrey Jack.

Workshop B is Full.
To be added to the waitlist for workshop B, contact ben.grosscup@nofamass.orginclude your full contact info, and state clearly the date of the workshop for which you want to register.

C) Saturday, May 12, 8am-5pm, Making Dipped Curds and Italian Cheeses, $80
*** Cheeses we can learn to make: Parmesan, Fontina.

Participants will learn to select the right quality milk, discern what kinds of milk are appropriate for each type of cheese, and choose what kind of bacteria to use as a starter. We'll cover as many cheeses as possible during each workshop period. Participants in workshop A will be given samples of soft cheese to take home and practice aging. This may or may not be possible for workshop B and C, because of production size limitations in the cheese room. Cliff invites participants wanting to learn more about working with the milk of their own animals to bring 2 gallons of milk to make into cheese.

Cricket Creek Farm, 1255 Oblong Road, Williamstown, MA

- Instructors: Suzy Konecky and Anne Borgendale make award-winning cheese at Cricket Creek Farm with milk from the farm's Brown Swiss and Jersey cows.

D) Saturday, April 21, 9am-3pm, Making Semi-Firm Farmstead Cheese, $70
Cheeses we will learn to make: A Farmstead Semi-Firm Basket Tomme.

Our workshop will take participants through the entire cheese making process. We will begin with pumping the milk into the cheese room, heating the milk, adding cultures, adding rennet, cutting the curds, hooping, and flipping the cheeses. Participants will take home a 1lb. wheel of cheese with instructions for home-aging. Everyone will have a chance to taste the different cheeses we make and tour the farm. Please come in clean clothing, and bring an apron if you have one.

Robinson Farm, 42 Jackson Rd, Hardwick, MA

- Instructors: Ray and Pam Robinson own and operate the Robinson Farm organic raw milk dairy & creamery. They recently began making Alpine-style washed rind, artisan cheeses on their farm using the milk from their own cows.

E) Saturday, April 28, 9am-4:00pm, Making A Semi-Hard, Wash-Rind Cheese, $110
*** Cheese we will learn to make: Robinson Family's Alpine-style washed rind cheese. Workshop E is Full.

To be added to the waitlist for workshop E, contact ben.grosscup@nofamass.org include your full contact info, and state clearly the date of the workshop for which you want to register.

The workshop begins with introductions and heating and adding cultures to the milk. Next steps: adding rennet, checking for coagulation, the clean break, cutting the curds, heating and stirring the curds, draining the whey, molding the curd, pressing, de-hooping, re-pressing, salting and affinage. Break-out groups will rotate through lunch, affinage (the process of turning, brushing and washing the cheeses while they are aging), and dairy tours while the curds are setting and pressing. When possible, Ray & Pam will offer suggestions for adapting the recipe and procedures to the home kitchen. Please bring a clean apron and a plastic storage container to take home your 8-inch diameter wheel of cheese. It is important to wear clean clothes. You will be asked to wear plastic booties over your shoes and wear a hairnet and beard-net, if indicated.

Crystal Brook Farm, 192 Tuttle Road, Sterling, MA

- Instructor: Ann Starbard has operated Crystal Brook Farm and an award winning cheese operation since 1998. Her herd of 70 Saanen and Alpine goats produce all the milk used for the cheese.

F) Saturday, May 5th, 1pm-5pm, Making Fresh Goat Cheese, $60)
Workshop F is Full.
To be added to the wait list for workshop F, contact ben.grosscup@nofamass.org [SUBJ: Wait list for NOFA/Mass Spring 2012 Cheese Workshop F, May 5] include your full contact info, and state clearly the date of the workshop for which you want to register.
Cheeses we will learn to make: Chevre

This workshop starts by discussing how to discern milk quality and cleanliness. We'll demonstrate each of the key stages of the cheese-making process: Stage 1) Pasteurization. Setting the culture, adding the rennet; Stage 2) Hanging the curd; and Stage 3) Forming the cheese and adding herbs to make the end product. Tips on food safety and storing the cheese.

Homestead of Rebecca Buell, 196 N Main St, Petersham, MA

- Instructor: Rebecca Buell makes dairy foods with the raw milk from a small herd of Saanen and Toggenburg goats, using experimentation, observation, improvisation, and simple tools.

G) Saturday, May 19, 9am-2:30pm, Cheeses on the Homestead, $70
Cheeses we will learn to make: Chevre, Feta, and Ricotta

Workshop G is Full.
To be added to the wait list for workshop G, contact ben.grosscup@nofamass.org include your full contact info, and state clearly the date of the workshop for which you want to register.

We will make home-scale cheeses from goat's milk including a soft, herbed cheese (Chevre), Feta, and Ricotta using the leftover whey. We will discuss the basic cheese-making process, preparation of a mother culture, and other methods for culturing cheeses.

Oake Knoll Ayrshires At Lawton's Family Farm, 70 North St, Foxboro, MA - Limit: 10 Participants

- Instructor: Terri Lawton operates a dairy and cheese-making operation on her family's 25 Acre farm, which began in 1730.

H) Saturday, May 26, 9am-3:30pm, Making Simple Cheeses, $70
Cheeses we will learn to make: Fresh Mozzarella and Queso Blanco (a fresh Spanish cooking cheese, usually eaten fried)

Workshop H is Full.
To be added to the waitlist for workshop H, contact ben.grosscup@nofamass.org include your full contact info, and state clearly the date of the workshop for which you want to register.

We'll start by getting a general understanding of how milk is made into cheese and learn what to look for when selecting milk for cheese-making. The workshop will be primarily hands-on, demonstrating what the milk and curds and cheese look like at each step of the process. We also discuss how to diagnose and fix problems during the process so that you will be able to have a nice cheese to share with your friends and family, even if things don't come out as you intended.