Day 1: Essential Principles and Practices of Cheesemaking

So much happened today that i can't even imagine condensing it into verbs and nouns - even if I succeeded in that, getting it to fit onto this page. I'll try my best. . . . I walked to class, underestimating the time it would take to cross the road (I waited 3 red lights until I figured out that it would help to press the walk button to get my "walk" light to allow me to cross the bus highway). Anyways, I made it to class just a hair-bit late (in Wiste fashion), but not too late for introductions. There are 14 of us in all, all there for different reasons, different visions, but a similar desire for knowledge. Next to me sat Kate, a chef/caterer with children, from the Burlington area (although not originally). She makes her own sausages, brats, etc. but wants to maybe start dabbling in cheesemaking as well. Behind me sit three older adults, I didn't chat with them too much, but all are just beginner cheesemongers with no commercial goals in mind. One is a chemist, already apparently quite skilled with brewing fine beers. His friend next to him was kind, but that's about all I know her. The last man in the row is an amateur chef. In the last row on my side are three men. Two of them, from New York (snow country, apparently, where the received +200 inches this year "A good year for snow," as one of them said), are two leaves of the same tree, on the same branch. Both look a little rough and uncouth, but are extremely intelligent. They could be brothers -they have the same thickish build, hard-worked hands, graying beards, quick wit and humor- but are really just neighbors. The story one of them told (his name might be Alan or Dan, the other is Shaun) with their introduction was about a batch of milk that had sat overnight without the cooler on. They were milking 50 cows at the time and the tank was full, but a tester who had come by the day before had forgotten to turn the tank back on and the creamery figured it'd better not go in with the rest of the truck, just in case. So, they turned what could have been an absolute disaster into a mass of curds, washed/cooked it with hot water they piped in, and made themselves a giant batch of gouda. Using 5 gallon pails as forms, they pressed and aged the cheese, them fed their church congregation on their Accidental Cheese for weeks. The one who told the story also worked on large wind turbines and has actually worked in Le Roy on the ones out there and has been through Spring Grove, Lanesboro, and the surrounding area. He even has some friends down in Highlandville. Shaun manages to raise dairy heifers for a farmer while being a paramedic and traveling to Europe occasionally on Church missionary work. He was in the Ukraine and said their cows look somewhat like Devons, a little beefy, but not so pretty. A young man, who came in even later than I, sits next to them, but he missed the introduction so I know very little about him. He seems to know his way around a cheese curd, just by his contributions and questions in lecture. Across the aisle are three more interesting folks. Electra, a small blond who, if she has any, hides her super powers very well. She has been quiet during class, and is there because she enjoys cooking a lot. Perhaps we shall talk tomorrow? An older lady, also from New York, is next. She currently runs a small goat operation, but in the hills. This has been a struggle, she made a point of telling us, and so might abandon said location and move to a location more geographically inclined to a farm. Luca is next, an italian man I'm thinking is in his 40's with whom I will soon have supper. I approached him after class, a little awkwardly, explaining that I am studying italian and wondering if we could converse a little in his native language. After he dropped me off at my hotel we arranged to have supper around about now, so I will return tomorrow with more news. Love all - hope the goats/cows/weather are/is healthy and beautiful. **Katie