Say Cheese: Growth in cheesemaking part of thriving local food movement

By U.S. Sen. Angus King
(I-Maine)

There is no doubt about it — agriculture is a real bright spot in Maine’s economy right now. And part of that positive momentum we’ve seen recently is the growth in small Maine cheesemakers across the state.

Here in Maine, we’re lucky enough to have a thriving local food movement that gives us access to fresh, locally-grown products in our communities. Farming has always been a proud part of our heritage —from larger blueberry, potato, and dairy farms to smaller operations that have a variety of products. And this is truly an exciting time for Maine agriculture with the expansion of small and midsized farms, local farmers’ markets, and yes, small cheesemakers.

According to the Maine Cheese Guild, an organization that supports and encourages cheesemaking in the state, we now have more than 70 licensed local farms and creameries across Maine that produce cheese and contribute to the local economy.

And how, exactly, is cheese made here in Maine? Well, it all starts with the fresh, raw milk. Many of our farms and creameries have their own animals — either cows, goats, sheep, and even water buffalo — that provide the milk for their cheese. Others source their milk from nearby farms, building on the positive ripple effects of local agriculture. The milk is then heated, and bacterial cultures are added to help ripen it. Then comes the rennet, which is a complex set of enzymes that helps separate the liquid and solidify the mix into curds — and those curds are used to make the cheese.

That’s a very simplistic overview, and the process changes a bit depending on what type of cheese is being made, but that’s a quick look inside the cheesemaking process.

An important part of the growth we’ve seen in Maine cheesemaking — and in Maine agriculture in general — has been the influx of young farmers who are learning their trade and continuing Maine’s proud tradition of local foods. While other states around the country are seeing the age of their farmers go up, the average age of Maine farmers is actually declining. That’s a very good sign for the future of Maine agriculture, and helps explain the increasing number of cheesemakers and other small farm operations.

The increasing numbers of young Maine farmers didn’t happen overnight, and it wouldn’t have been possible without a lot of hard work and guidance from established farmers willing to share their craft. Apprenticeships have been a huge boon to Maine agriculture — especially in the cheese world — giving interested young people an opportunity work at existing creameries and develop the skills and experience they need to start out on their own. Appleton Creamery is a shining example, where their apprenticeship group has helped several aspiring cheesemakers to learn the ins-and outs of the business and ultimately launch their own creameries.

After all this talk about Maine cheese, you may be wondering where you can pick some up. And thanks to the connections of our local food network, there are several different ways to find local Maine cheese. The first, of course, is at the farms and creameries who make the cheese. You can visit the Maine Cheese Guild website for a map of creameries, and remember to check that each farm sells cheese onsite before making the trip. Many of the cheeses are also available at farmers’ markets (we now have more than 100!) across the state. Some creameries also tend to have wholesale agreements with restaurants looking to showcase fresh, local ingredients.

This is an exciting time for Maine cheesemaking and for our agricultural sector as a whole. With more and more people looking to buy local food, cheesemaking is helping to fuel that local movement and proving to be a valuable part of our rural economy.