Of sheep cheese, wolves and massive guardian dogs. Radio farm tour #3.
Here are some facts – in the winter of 1980, there were only 25 wolves counted in Wisconsin. By late 2006, the population had grown to 465. The change was just as dramatic in Minnesota where wolf numbers have gone from 750 in the mid-1950s to over 2,600 today.
As you might imagine, with the growing numbers of wolf packs came increased predation on livestock and dogs. According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, there are about 17 cases of wolf predation a year – about half on livestock and half on dogs. Because there are more wolves in northern Minnesota, the number of kills are greater there – anywhere from 60-100 cases a year.
[As far as predation on deer goes, its under 6,000 annual in Minnesota. This is low when compared to the 40,000 struck by motor vehicles and the 450,000 dear shot annually by hunters.]
Although the wolf population growth has moved it off the federal endangered species list – it is the wolf’s threat to livestock, like sheep, that concerns sheep operators all across the country.
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What makes for great US cheese? It's the sheep's milk. Part 2 of radio farm tour.
Sheep came to North America on Columbus’ second voyage, in 1493. Those animals were used for meat. The early colonists used sheep for wool and home-made textiles, and secondarily for meat. Milking sheep is a fairly recent development in the States. In fact, the first US diary sheep operations were recorded in the mid-1980s, and that was with non-dairy breeds. Diary animals came into the US, by way of Canada, in the early to mid-1990s.
Although the sheep populations across the US have declined dramatically since 1946 - from a high of over 56 million in the 40s to just over 6 million today - the dairy segment offers lots of hope. A recent report by the National Academies says that there is an increase in the high-quality cheeses being made on these farms. The 2008 report is called “Changes inthe Sheep Industry in the United States.” And it goes on to say - that for the dairy industry to continue to develop, there need to be advancements in sheep genetics to improve the dairy sheep traits.
This brings us right back to LoveTree Farm, where Mary and Dave have worked to improve their sheep for nearly 20 years. The results? Sheep that laugh in the face of brutal winters, that build both milk and meat from grazing alone, and which produce high butterfat milk influenced by the seasonal grasses and flowers. And the cheese? Well, the couple were named 2002 Artisan of the Year by the Food Network and Bon Apetit. Their farm-made raw and pasteurized cheeses have also won numbers of prizes in American Cheese Society competition.
So where to buy these great cheeses? You can find Mary at the St. Paul’s Farmers Market, St. Paul, Minnesota every Saturday morning. But if you can’t make that trip, you can buy online by going to their website.
I hope you enjoy my visit with Mary and Dave. My next show will feature a last, quick chat with Mary about the special dogs she uses to protect her flock from coyotes and wolves. These are not herding dogs. They're guardian dogs that tip the scales at up to 150 pounds! We'll also hear from caterer and cookbook author Jim McCaffrey. He'll talk about the artisinal pizza and bakery he'll be opening in Decorah, Iowa this fall.
Till next time, eat well, eat thoughtfully. And, if at all possible, eat locally.
Bye!
Sylvia@artisanbreadcheeseandwine.com
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June 28, '08. Foggy caves make for award-winning sheep cheese: radio farm tour.
Well, that picture got a whole new splash of color after tasting a variety of cheeses lifted off the cedar blanks in Mary Falk's aging caves. You can see pictures of some of these cheeses, of Mary and Peter Falk, their Spanish Ranch Mastiff, Pedro, and their sheep, click on the LoveTree photo gallery.
You can also find out lots more about sheep dairy operations from a number of sources. Here are a few I used:
- The Dairy Business Innovation Center, Madison, Wisconsin
- Wisconsin Artisan Dairy Network
- Wisconsin Sheep Diary Cooperative
- Sheep! magazine
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May 26, '08. Artisan cheese marketer reveals why we reach for that cheese.
- Steven Jenkins, Cheese Primer. Still the first reference book I reach for when I bring home a wedge or round of new cheese.
- The New American Cheese, by Laura Werlin. Great descriptions of cheeses and their producers, along with recipes.
- The Atlas of American Artisan Cheesee, Jeffrey Roberts. With a forward from Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food Movement International.
- The Cheeses of Wisconsin, by Jeannette Hurt. This is a travel guide, and a really useful resource for those of us who want to visit our cheeses at the source.
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Wine picks for Mother's Day. Wine-cheese, beer-cheese combos.
- You'll need to use some judgment on that omelet because the fixings can really change the personality of the meal. If you're going with mild to medium fillings, Bill feels a pinot noir is a safe bet, great with mushrooms.
- If you're making a steak for that wonderful Mom in your life, a cabernet for sure. Bill also really likes a California Syrah or a petit syrah, and
- If you and the kids are grilling hamburgers for Mom (and when the weather's great who can resist the sizzle of burgers on the grill), pour zinfandel.
- First, consider her tastes: does she like mild flavors or really strong ones.
- Second, identify her preferred wine or beer (or pop).
- Determine if you're going to feature the cheeses as appetizers or a main course
- Get a fun cheese (string cheese) for the kids to enjoy (Their young taste buds tend to appreciate the milder flavors)
- You are going to want two or three different cheeses for the sampler
- If your cheese is the major part of your meal, consider a couple of ounces (roughly two square inches) of each type of cheese per person.
- The cheeses should vary in flavor intensity.
- And once you sit down to eat, you'll want to start with the milder cheese first.
- Champagne: Brie, mild Cheddar, Edam, Gouda, Chevre, Baby Swiss
- Peppery Gewurtzraminer: Swiss, Chevre, Boursin
- Ports, sherry: Bleu, Roquefort, stilton, vintage brie
- Cabernet: sharp cheddar, Danish bleu, Brie US, Camembert
- Riesling: Cheshire, Colby, Edam, Gouda, Monterey Jack
When it comes to beer, try to find locally-produced microbrews. (Hey, Mom's worth it!) According to the Brewers Association, there are 1,406 microbreweries across the country (as of 2007), so there might just be a craft operation either close to you, or that sells product to your local purveyor. Here are some ideas from www.allaboutbeer.com:
- Mellow beers such as American wheat beer, American lagers, amber lagers: newer unripened cheeses such as ricotta, and cottage cheese.
- Pilsners, pale ales, porters, and American fruit ales: Camembert or Brie withbloomy rinds.
- Amber ales, golden ales, bitters, mellow bocks: semi-soft cheeses such as gouda, havarti, Tilsit, Liederkrantz, Port Salut and American Colby, Monterey Jack.
- Special bitters and pale ales, double bocks: semi-hard cheeses including the cheddars, Swiss, Cheshire, Tilsit, Edam, Gruyere, emmentaler, Jarlsberg and aged Gouda.
- Double bock, stout or porter: Blue-veined cheeses such as Stilton, Roquefort, and Gorgonzola, Iowa Maytag, St. Pete's bleu from Wisconsin. Maytag blue from Iowa go with the stronger beers: stout, porters,old ales, and Imperial stouts, and chevre.
Will President Bush sign the 2007 Farm Bill? How will it affect your grass-fed beef, organic cheese or artisan bread?
- Although this is five-year legislation, the budget is up for grabs every year. What's in column A can be shifted to column B.
- While there was an $861 million increase for nutrition programs over the next 10 years, it was partially paid for by slashing crop subsidies by $400 million and cutting a program to pay farmers for ruined crops by $250 million. (According to AP reports.)
- It cut commodity subsidies by $400 million over 10 years, from the $5.2 billion a year in direct payments
- It includes a tax break for race horse owners.
- This current bill doesn't begin to do what's needed to to promote sustainable agriculture, to protect the environment, or to facilitate healthier diets at home or in school.
- This Farm Bill does not guarantee food safety (remember the tainted meat episodes of just the last few months), nor does it promote food security (knowing that our food supply is not vulnerable to foreign control)
- This Farm Bill continues to link corn acreage to fuel production (ethanol).
- This bill still provides $$$ billions every year to support five commodities - corn, wheat, rice, cotton and soybeans
- And when you see the term, commodities, think high-fructose corn syrup, a key ingredient in highly-processed foods and carbonated beverages; and about the wheat and soy fillers that seem to find their way into so many of the prepared foods we eat (even powdered chicken broth).
Do you like your goat-milk Mobay, with that gossamer layer of gray ash floating through the middle? I do. And I really enjoy my raw-milk goat cheddar (especially with pitted prunes), and my local cow-milk cheeses. But if more land gets shifted from hay production to corn-for-ethanol, the price of hay is likely to rise, and with it the cost of my cheeses. While I might grumble about this increased cost, I'll likely pay it. However, my small complaint is not the issue.
The real problem is on the production side. As the costs to raise to raise cows, sheep and goats continues to climb, the livelihoods of small- and medium-scale farmers are jeopardized.
The demand for healthful foods, fresh veggies, whole grains, and seasonal fruit outstrips supply year after year. Yet, the Farm Bill does not exist to move more of our agricultural system in that direction.
A real problem is when those who are struggling to make ends meet - tens of millions in the US alone - find it more and more difficult to buy healthful foods for their families.
Farm Bill - America's Food Bill - wrangling pushes deadline?
Food Bill (Farm Bill) deadline pushed to April 25. Use easy links to write congress and protect your local bread, wine and cheese.
Love Vermont cheddar, San Fran sourdough, Minnesota ice wine, or Iowa blue cheese? USA Food Bill (the Farm Bill) deadline is April 18 - it works to choke local production. Take 10 minutes to protect good, local food.
#004 April 1 '08: Organic dairy farmers go to glass bottles and liquid yogurt, Millenials beat Gen-Xers in wine appreciation, ice wine from snowy Minnesota, adult chocolate
Let's stir up support for great, locally-produced foods. Join the locavore resistance!! Support your local food revolution.
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