A Film Screening, Cheesemaking, and a Meeting of the Milkmaids

Cheese lovers and foodies – mark your calendars for Saturday, March 21st! Not only will Spring have officially arrived in the Hudson Valley, the town of Rosendale will become the epicenter of the artisan dairy world. Hosted by the force of nature that is Rebecca (Becky) Collins Brooks, “Cheese the Day” is a multi-sensory takeover of the Rosendale Theatre featuring a screening of the documentary film, Shelf Life, a curated tasting of exclusive New York State farmstead cheeses, and a panel of industry heavyweights.

From “cheese philosophers” to world-renowned affineurs (cheese specialists who oversee the aging, or “ripening” process of cheese), Becky has gathered the brightest minds in the field to explore the complex journey from soil to shelf. We sat down with her to discuss the evolution of the Milkmaids, the science of the vat, and why raw milk is a choice worth understanding.

INSIDE+OUT: Farmer, fromager, writer—Rebecca Collins Brooks, what don’t you do? You’re now involved in an exciting movie event coming up at the Rosendale Theater on March 21st. Tell us about it!

Rebecca Collins Brooks: Call me Becky! And yes – I started something a few years ago called the Meeting of the Milkmaids that has evolved into what will soon be a not-for-profit organization. The Meeting of the Milkmaids exists to support women in the cheese industry by building community, providing education, and directly supporting their work. To continue and build on our mission, we need to raise awareness and funding. To that end, my team and I have partnered with the New York State Cheese Council to host a day focused on cheese, and we are bringing it to Rosendale on March 21st! The film is called “Shelf Life” – it’s a documentary that parallels the art of affinage (the aging of cheese) with the aging of humans. Believe it or not, there is a direct correlation that makes cheese an incredibly fascinating foodstuff. The film will be accompanied by a curated cheese tasting box filled with artisan farmstead cheeses from New York State and beyond, so moviegoers will savor a sample of the very best of New York dairy. The tasting has a few wonderful new cheeses that have yet to be fully released to the public, so ticket-holders will be the first to sample them!

“The Meeting of the Milkmaids exists to support women in the cheese industry by building community, providing education, and directly supporting their work.”

What will the panel discussion focus on, and who will be on the panel?

Becky Collins Brooks: The panel discussion focuses on (what else?) cheese – from the soil that grows the hay that feeds the animals who make the milk, to the vat, the cheese cave, and then to the marketing of it. Cheese is an unbelievably complex food to bring to the store shelf, and our panel represents many different aspects of how it gets there. Josh Windsor is the Associate Director of Caves for Murray’s Cheese; I like to call him a “cheese philosopher” because he speaks and writes eloquently on the human experience using cheese as the metaphor. Olivia Haver is the affineur for von Trapp Family Farm in Vermont (yes, *that* von Trapp). She is a researcher who has compiled a resource book for affineurs detailing the complexity of how cheese caves function, and she’s an award–winning affineur. Steve Messmer is the owner of one of the nation’s oldest goat dairies (Lively Run Dairy), where he and his family craft award-winning cheeses, including a brand-new one that will be in the tasting box! Kristine Januzzi is a World Cheese Award judge and journalist who leads bespoke cheese tasting tours in Italy (and NYC!) Amye Gulezian is the Vice President of High Lawn Farm in Lee, MA; her knowledge is both broad and deep – she has knowledge of cheese from literally every aspect of it, from the soil and the hay, and then to the cows, the creamery, to the sales shelf. These brilliant people will share how cheese gets to the hands and taste buds of all who enjoy it, and answer audience questions, too!

Why should folks not miss this event? We hear there will be cheese at the concession stand. Rumor or truth?

Becky Collins Brooks: Truth, sort of! The concession stand for the theater will be open for business, providing drinks and snacks for sale, but along with the ticket price, attendees will receive that tasting box I already mentioned, which will include cheeses and accompaniments for an interesting multi-sensory film experience! And of course, the panel discussion after the film offers a unique opportunity to meet and speak with renowned cheese experts whose hands have created cheeses that many guests have consumed. We hear the phrase “shake the hand that feeds you” so often, and now is the chance to personally connect with the people who bring cheese to the table with meticulous care.

How can folks purchase tickets?

Becky Collins Brooks: Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Click HERE for tickets!

Shelf Life showing at Rosendale Theater | Saturday, March 21st at 2 PM
Be part of the conversation about aging and affinage! Get your tickets to a very special screening to benefit The Meeting of the Milkmaids and New York State Cheese Council, with a panel discussion and cheese tasting.  Space is limited. $35 per ticket.

There is also an add-on option to attend the NY State Cheese Council’s annual meeting for cheese professionals and members of the Council; that will be held in the morning at the Rosendale Municipal Center, with another panel discussion and (of course) more cheese!

You founded the Meeting of the Milkmaids – a gathering of women in cheese, makers & mongers, educators, writers, & researchers. What was the impetus for founding this organization and bringing these women together?

Becky Collins Brooks: I had a devastating ankle surgery four years ago that required a recovery in a recliner for months. In order to keep my own spirits up, I thought of things I’d like to do when I was back on my feet again, and the thing I kept coming back to was visualizing myself in a room with all the incredible women who were supporting me at a distance during my recovery. I thought, “Why not?” and so the Milkmaids was born. The first gathering was at our farm in May of 2023; there were 36 women guests, and at the end of the day we all gathered around a huge cheese tasting board set up on our store counter that was composed of all women-made cheeses; we asked every attendee to bring a cheese and pairing to share, and the counter was arranged by a monger in attendance – it was stunningly beautiful to see, and even better to taste! It was unforgettable. The following year, we moved the gathering to High Lawn Farm to accommodate more people, and it has just grown from there. This coming May 2nd will be our fourth gathering, and we will host 60 attendees. We still have the end-of-day all-woman cheese tasting, and it has become the highlight of the day – a beautiful way for everyone to share each other’s company over our favorite food: cheese!

The event on March 21st is also a fundraiser. What are funds going to help these two organizations achieve?

Becky Collins Brooks: We’ve rented the Rosendale theater with the help of the New York State Cheese Council (NYSCC) to raise money for both the Milkmaids and the Cheese Council. We are fortunate to have the Rosendale Theater right here in our backyard, on a charming main street. We are so grateful to share this interesting day with their help, and to have a cheese shop like The Big Cheese next door is an added bonus!

The morning session is at the Rosendale Municipal Center and is for members of the NYSCC and cheese professionals from across the state. This fundraiser will help the Milkmaids and Cheese Council to further the missions of both organizations, as well as support programming that includes education opportunities, support of cheese pros, and building a larger community of cheese professionals around the country in order to bring more artisan cheese to the general public! By supporting these two organizations, the community will be, in effect, supporting itself, too.

Your farm originated as a traditional dairy farm, and then transitioned to specializing in Wagyu beef. What prompted you to return to dairy and venture into cheese-making?

Becky Collins Brooks: We’ve loved raising Wagyu as a way to increase viability for our small farm. It’s a special breed we love working with, and it has been very good for our farm, mostly because it has brought amazing people into our lives. As you said, the foundation of this farm is traditional dairy. My husband and I bonded over cheesemaking when we were dating, and I discovered that I really loved it. I used up all his cheesemaking supplies, bought more, and then I took a course at Penn State in order to really understand the science behind what I was creating in the vat. I came home from my experience energized by my newfound knowledge, and I started making huge amounts of cheese in our kitchen. Our goal was always to rebuild our dairy differently. We wanted to do it on a very small scale – a “microdairy” – where we could manage it ourselves, alongside the Wagyu business, and sell raw milk to our community. We recently received a grant from Ulster County (the Farm Viability and Sustainability Grant) that has enabled us to complete our creamery, so we will soon be able to check off that goal! We will never milk more than eight cows, and we believe that this small scale will enable us to provide the highest quality milk produced to the highest standards. Making and selling cheese commercially is a wholly separate proposition; it’s a separate licensing process requiring further huge upgrades to facilities, and another large monetary investment. I will continue to make cheese for our own consumption while we work on the next steps. I’m trying so hard not to sound overly proud, but they are delicious cheeses, and we hope that in the near future we will be able to sell them to our community. We’ve learned that patience is a virtue when it comes to navigating the heavy regulations small farms face.

What do you love about cheese and the cheesemaking process? Is it difficult to learn?

Becky Collins Brooks: There’s so much to love about cheese. I love the science behind cheesemaking, and how, because of the daily changes in the milk from our cows, it becomes a fully-sensory experience, while I’m in tune to everything that’s happening in the vat. I love that, based on the foundation of chemistry, I can also be unbelievably creative. The fundamentals aren’t all that difficult to learn, but making really interesting cheese is where it gets complicated. And I love that, too! The diversity in the cheese world is infinite – not just the flavors and styles, but also the people behind the cheese. When you taste a cheese, it is a direct connection to the land and people it comes from. The stories behind the myriad artisan cheeses all over the world are fascinating. One can learn about civilization just by studying cheese. It’s a critically important part of rural food systems the world over – often used as a bartering tool – and by preserving the making and aging methods of small, artisan farmstead cheeses, we are also supporting and maintaining the communities, ways of life, and small farms that surround them.

What is your favorite cheese to make?

Becky Collins Brooks: I really love making cheddar. “Cheddaring” is a verb, a part of the process of getting to a wheel of cheese to age. Cheddar is a physical cheese to make, with steps that require focus and careful attention. I’m not so great at affinage, but so far I’ve managed to age quite a few decent wheels of it. Cheddar curds are delicious, and it’s challenging in our house to get beyond the raw curds before aging because we like to eat them! I have this conversation with a dear cheesemaker friend: the style of cheeses we each like to make really reflects our personalities, and it’s so interesting to see how that manifests in the vat.

Who are some of your favorite artisan cheesemakers and cheese mongers we should know about?

Becky Collins Brooks: I have so many friends in the cheese world, but a few favorites are (of course!) women. Regarding cheesemakers, here are a few:

Jess Clark of Nonchalant Cheese in Vernon, NJ, makes stunningly beautiful and delicious cheeses from her own herd of cows (she sells them right off her farm); she’s unbelievably humble, so I’ll brag for her – she’s authentic, and her cheeses are a reflection of the joy and creativity that are the foundations of her approach to life.

Lily Orr is a gifted young cheesemaker who started at Cato Corner Farm in Connecticut and now makes award-winning cheese for Blakesville Creamery in Wisconsin. The cheeses her hands have touched are available all over the US, including locally at small cheese shops and Adams Fairacre Farms cheese counters.

Rachel Banks, president of the New York State Cheese Council, is another brilliant cheesemaker (Eden Valley Creamery in South Dayton, NY) who is passionate about the science behind the cheese. Her cheeses are technically perfect and deeply creative.

Mongers I really appreciate are the small cheese shops that focus on American farmstead cheeses:

Saxelby Cheesemongers in NYC’s Chelsea Market is the founding shop of this movement. New Curds on the Block (founded by Kate Truini, a panelist for the morning session of Cheese The Day, and a former member of the Milkmaids team) is a small cheese shop in Connecticut that promotes small American cheesemakers.

And, of course, locally, there’s The Corner Counter in Red Hook, owned and operated by Lauren Cunningham-Hausman. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t include Kate Arding of Talbott & Arding in Hudson, NY. Kate is a world-renowned cheese expert who has had a hand in starting some hugely important creameries across the country, and she has also been unbelievably supportive of the Milkmaids by providing advice and knowledge to me personally as I’ve moved the organization to a more formal structure. Her practicality, wisdom, and encouragement have been invaluable!

The building of your creamery and the new milking system installation are progressing. What will this mean for your farm and business once it is complete?

Becky Collins Brooks: The creamery will bring a valuable revenue stream to our farm, but more importantly, it will mean we are able to supply our community with a much-desired product. We get so many calls every week asking if we sell raw milk, and we cannot wait for the day when we can finally say “YES!” The milking system is completed, and we are awaiting the finalization of the inspection process, which is detailed and specific. We are confident that the combination of the new milking system and our knowledge and hard work will move that process forward.

How can folks learn more about raw milk, its benefits, and what do you say to the nay-sayers of raw milk?

Becky Collins Brooks: Raw milk is not a political statement – it’s a dietary choice. Say that loudly for the people in the bleachers. There are many resources where people can learn about raw milk. The Weston A. Price Foundation has long promoted raw milk as a beneficial food source, and they maintain what’s called the “Good Milk List” that shares every licensed raw milk dairy in the United States, and they also share peer-reviewed studies on the benefits of raw milk. The best resource, though, is the farmers themselves. Asking farmers questions about their methods and seeing how cows are cared for is the best way to learn what products are best for your family. Look for clean cows and bedding, fresh hay and water, and milk that tastes clean and sweet. There are many nay-sayers regarding raw milk, but our answer to them is this: if you don’t want raw milk, don’t purchase it. Anecdotal evidence about the health benefits of raw milk is prolific, but there is also hard scientific research that validates the positives for consuming it. Every person must decide what is best for their family, and that decision should be made by learning about all the different options available to them. Raw milk is one option, and one we deeply believe in.

How/when will you have raw milk available for purchase from Hilltop Farm? And tell us about what else the farm offers for sale?

Becky Collins Brooks: As soon as our licensing is completed, we will sell raw milk directly from the farm. We anticipate that this will be completed by May if all goes as planned. We will sell it in glass jars, by the half-gallon, and we are considering offering a “milk club” where customers can pre-purchase their weekly share. We also sell our amazing Wagyu beef, and, seasonally, we raise pastured whole-roaster chickens and American Bresse eggs (which are exceptionally rich and delicious!).

Are you working on anything else that we should know about?

Becky Collins Brooks: Those who know us well already know that we host apprentices for the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund every summer. This program sends paid apprentices to work on farms all over the world, and we are entering our fourth year as a host farm. I am also on the Alumni Advisory Board for that organization, and that enables me to encourage program alumni in their future agricultural or cheese-related pursuits. Our apprentices have all been young women, and we have been unbelievably encouraged to watch them learn and grow in the short time that they are here. Anne Saxelby was the owner/founder of Saxelby Cheese (mentioned earlier), who died too young. Her family started the fund in her name to underpin the small farms and artisan cheesemakers she believed in and supported throughout her life. We are honored to be a host farm for this amazing organization!

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Follow/Connect with Becky Collins via The Meeting of the Milkmaids on Instagram | Catskill Wagyu at Hilltop Farm | Instagram

The New York Cheese Council via their Website | Instagram

Photos courtesy of: Becky Collins and The New York Cheese Council

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