If you are travelling the wine trails in the Finger Lakes, you can choose from more than 100 wineries. But you can’t subsist on vino alone. You need to take a break to sample the full breadth of all that the area has to offer. And there’s nothing that goes better with wine than cheese. That’s why we think the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail is a “grate” idea.
The trail was organized to promote the variety of artisan and farmstead cheeses produced in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Here’s a guide to Finger Lakes Cheese Trail members:
Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese Co - Nancy Richards has been crafting cheeses, made from raw cow’s milk, from the closed herd of 50 milking Holsteins, belonging to Nancy’s family, the Taber Hill Farms Inc., which is on Route 79, between Ithaca and Watkins Glen. The farm has been in the family since 1919. The cheese is currently available at various retail outlets in Ithaca, Syracuse and Rochester, with other outlets in New York City. Cheese can be purchased at the plant, by appointment, or by chance.
Contact: Nancy Richards (607) 387-3108
www.fingerlakes-cheese.comKeeley’s Cheese Co – Perhaps the newest cheese company, in the world, Keeley McGarr is starting to produce Irish style, washed rind cheeses on her family’s grazing dairy in King Ferry, on the East side of Cayuga Lake. Keeley opened in March, 2010, and hopes that you will see her cheese at outlets around the Finger Lakes, as well as the dairy store, at the farm.
Contact: Keeley McGarr (315) 730-6872
www.keeleyscheeseco.com Finger Lakes Dexter Cheese Creamery - Rose Marie Belforti produces raw milk cheeses from Dexter cows. This is the first and only producer in the western hemisphere to offer an authentic, probiotic kefir cheese product: An artisanal farmstead raw milk cheese, Kefir Cheese, made with a mother culture of authentic kefir grains and rich milk from grass-fed Irish Dexter house cows, and aged for 60 days or more. Cheese is available directly from the farm in King Ferry, on the East side of Cayuga Lake.
Contact: Rose Marie Belforti (315) 364-3581
www.kefircheese.com Muranda Cheese – Created by Tom Murray on Route 96, 2 miles south of Waterloo. Making hard aged cheeses from their grass fed herd, like Old British Cheddar, Garlic and Dilly Girl and their famous Red Buddy. You'll find these at several local NY Pride wineries, and at their farm tasting room and store. You can also visit their online store at Muranda.com
Contact: Tom Murray (315) 539-1103
www.muranda.com Lively Run Goat Dairy – One of the first commercial goat dairy operations in New York State, beginning production in 1982. Chevre, made in the traditional French style, Balkan style Feta and, "Cayuga Blue", a goat's milk Blue are offered for sale at the farm store, located near the village of Interlaken between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, as well as many local wineries, and retailers throughout the area. A daily tour is held Monday - Friday, at 1.30PM, for a nominal fee.
Contact: Susanne Messmer (607) 532-4647
www.livelyrun.com Northland Sheep Dairy - Located 30 miles east of Ithaca, produces truly handmade sheep cheese on the farm, using only raw sheep milk from 100% grass fed animals. Donn Hewes and Maryrose Livingston produce a number of hard and soft cheeses. There are no sales at the farm, but they do sell at the Ithaca Farmers’ Market.
Contact: Maryrose Livingston (607) 849-4442
www.northlandsheepdairy.com Sidehill Acres Goat Farm - Russell and Rita Kellogg established this goat dairy in 1982. In 1994 they started a goat cheese processing plant, and produce premium quality hand crafted goat milk products. Tour the cheese plant and learn how the cheese is made. Side Hill Acres is on Route 96, in Candor, between Owego and Ithaca. Tours are available, year round. Cheese is available for sale at the farm, or at Green Star Co-Op, in Ithaca.
Contact: Rita Kellogg (607) 659-4121 www.sidehillacres.bizland.com
Engelbert Farms - Owned and operated by Lisa and Kevin Engelbert, it is a certified organic farm raising dairy, beef, veal, and pork on their 600 acre farm in Nichols, NY on the Pennsylvania border. The farm's milk is being made into 16 varieties of cheddar, gouda, swiss, jack and mozzarella cheeses, sold via their new farm store and at a few retail outlets near the farm.
Contact Lisa Engelbert (607) 699-3775 www.engelbertfarms.com
Wake Robin Farm - Meg and Bruce Schader, started their dairy farm in 2006 with a small herd of Jersey cows and built a small processing plant to produce their all natural yogurt. Wake Robin Farm started by making yogurt which can now be found in many retails stores in central NY. They are now diversifying their product line to include three varieties of artisanal cheese: Baliwick Cheddar, an italian style cheese they call Mona Lisa, and Caerffili, a semi soft cheese recipe originating in Wales. The farm is located at 125 Brutus Road, Jordan, NY. Visit the website to find the outlets where you can find Wake Robin Farm products.
Contact Meg Schader (315) 689-0034
www.wakerobinfarm.org Sunset View Creamery - The Hoffman Dairy, in Odessa, is a 5th generation operation. There, Carmella Hoffman has been crafting Cheddars, Monterey Jack Style Cheeses and Fresh Cheese Curds for nearly six years, while husband Ron and son, Jeremy, tend to the herd. Carmella uses pasteurized milk, and the cheese is available at the farm store, 4970 County Rd. 14, in Odessa, and is sold at many of the local wineries as well as Green Star Co-Op, in Ithaca, and Stillman’s Greenhouse and Country Store, in Montour Falls.
