In college, Tyler Webb studied anthropology where he says he “realized that the rise and subsequent fall of every organized civilization in history was due to soil erosion and over-grazing.” Thus, he turned his attention to plant and soil science, getting his masters in sustainable agriculture and later buying thirty-five acres of abandoned farmland in northern Vermont. Here, he showed that he not only talked the sustainable agriculture talk, but he also walked the sustainable agriculture walk. He and his wife Melanie use organic practices, carefully rotate their cows through around pastures, and work with various Vermont conservation agencies to ensure their animals and land remain healthy.

After winning multiple awards for the superior quality of their milk, Tyler and Melanie turned to the next dairy frontier – cheese! Inspired by French tomme cheeses, Swallow Tail Tomme has the knobbly rind, semi-firm texture, and smaller wheel size characteristic of that style. It smells like raspberries, grapes, and fresh soil, and tastes of peaches and grilled corn with the bitterness of charred steak. Try it with fresh figs, slices of hard salami and a bit of mustard, grate it over black bean chili, or melt it onto bread for dipping into a rich beef stew.