One of our most attractive cheeses has arrived again – Lake’s Edge. A mild goat’s milk cheese, it is covered in ash and has an ash line down the middle of the paste. It has a satisfying cheesecake texture with a generous cream line around the outside, which widens as the cheese ages. Creamy, tangy, and salty, it is very satisfying smooshed into a piece of hearty, multigrain bread. 

This beauty comes to us from Blue Ledge Farm in Vermont, run by Greg and Hannah who started building Blue Ledge Farm in 2000 at the age of 23. When I was 23, I think my whole brain was focused on how to travel on the cheap with my friends. These two, on the other hand, had vision! They had purpose! And it worked! Their business has lasted successfully and they continue to make very good cheese.

Not only are they focused on making cheese, but they also care deeply about the environment. They have sold the development rights to their 150-acre farm to the Vermont Land Trust so their land will never be developed. In 2009, they started returning the wetlands on their property back to their natural state (rather than filling them in or trying to dry them out) because wetlands are so essential to a healthy ecosystem. They have solar panels, an energy efficient milking machine, an EPA-approved biomass furnace, and more. Blue Ledge is also an Animal Welfare Approved farm, so you know their goats are livin’ the good life. Oh, and if you were worried about what they were doing in their free time, they also have a painting studio. I was browsing through Hannah’s artwork for sale and there’s a lot to choose from! How she can fit painting into her busy schedule as a farmer, cheesemaker, and environmental protector is beyond me. 

So next time you’re in the shop, try Lake’s Edge, a tasty cheese made from happy goats on healthy land.

For the love of cheese and overachievers,

Kiri