May is American Cheese Month! And no, we don’t mean the plastic-wrapped single slices. We’re celebrating cheese produced by American cheesemakers.

Here at Farmers’, we are so blessed to work with numerous artisan cheesemakers who focus on quality and sustainability. Read on to learn more about the five Vermont producers we are featuring this month! 

Champlain Valley Creamery, Middlebury, VT

Carleton Yoder, the owner and head cheesemaker of Champlain Valley Creamery, is a food scientist with experience in wine and hard cider as well as cheese. In 2003, he established this creamery which uses traditional methods to create its certified organic cheeses. Champlain Valley produces several soft, melty cheeses, including Queso Fresco and mushroom-y Champlain Triple.

Cobb Hill Cheese, Hartland, VT

Cobb Hill Cheese has been producing an assortment of small-batch cheeses since 2000. All their cheeses are made with raw milk from Holstein and Jersey cows and aged in their cave. Although they started with alpine-style Ascutney Mountain Cheese, they have since developed a buttery Welsh-style cheese and several delightful farmhouse Goudas.

Jasper Hill Farm, Greensboro, VT

It’s a family business for the Kehler brothers, Andy and Matteo! What started as a vision for a small dairy farm that would help revitalize the working landscapes in the Northeast Kingdom has grown to include a creamery and a 22,000-square-foot underground cheese-aging facility. Since 2003, they have perfected a variety of artisan cheeses, such as Baley Hazen Blue, gooey and woodsy Harbison, and alpine-style Whitney.

Plymouth Artisan Cheese, Plymouth, VT

It all started in 1890 when Col. John Coolidge, the father of our 30th president, built the Plymouth Cheese Factory as a way to preserve the milk produced on his dairy. Although the factory has closed its doors a few times since then, Jesse Werner revived it in 2009 and uses the original recipe to produce “America’s oldest cheddar.” Their colorful waxed blocks feature flavors like Black Truffle and Garlic Peppercorn, Nick’s favorite!

Shelburne Farm, Shelburne, VT

Shelburne Farms does more than make cheese. This working farm is a nonprofit focused on education and sustainability. The 110 Brown Swiss cows raised in Shelburne Farm’s pastures provide the milk for their artisanal cheddar, which is aged for anywhere from six months to four years. You can’t go wrong with these approachable raw milk cheeses.