Cathy Bergstrom in Greensboro, North Carolina

We’ve been in Greensboro for 17 years. I grew up in Portland, ME and met my husband in college in Milwaukee, WI. From there we migrated to NH for graduate school then to Williamsburg, VA and Normal, IL before coming here. My husband Pete is an historian (and he’s adamant that they never retire regardless of their employment status).

I’ve been retired since 2015 from a position supporting the implementation and subsequent care and feeding of human resources and payroll computer systems. We’re cruising towards our 50th wedding anniversary next spring. We have a son and daughter (both still in the mid-west where we were for their school years). They have gifted us with 3 beautiful granddaughters, currently ages 11, 5 and almost 3.

I’m a hobby cheese maker who’s been at it for about 5 years using many of the wonderful resources here.

How did you end up making cheese?

Well, it is not something I grew up knowing about (like I did knitting, gardening, etc. – some of my other hobbies). As best I can remember, I saw some books (though not Ricki’s ) and some cheese making kits in one or more of the gardening catalogs that arrive every winter and became intrigued. I received Home Dairy by Ashley English for Christmas 2013 and then bought myself Ricki’s Basic Cheese Making Kit early in 2014. The adventure has continued from there.

I now make yogurt about every 2 weeks and other cheeses as the mood hits. Caciotta is a favorite and pretty fool proof. I’ve also made several batches of Manchego that have turned out well. Since my husband is a mid-westerner, I had to master cheese curds, of course.

My most famous failures are probably my attempts at Swiss (which Jim Wallace gently informed me was well beyond my experience level) and my first try at Wine Infused Cheese (before I had a decent cheese press arrangement). These were both early on.

This summer I got brave enough to try the wine cheese again and it’s in the cave, so the jury is still out. My “cave” by the way is a tiny dorm fridge with a secondary temperature controller, but no humidity control which is one of my biggest challenges.

In July, I did a 1 hour Zoom class for our local Shepherd’s Center group. Shepherd’s Centers around the country provide learning, volunteer and engagement opportunities for active seniors. This usually involves in-person education sessions. Of course that has been impossible during COVID-19 restrictions. So we’ve turned to zoom.

I presented a basic 1 hour how-to for fresh cheeses that can be made with little in the way of specialized equipment or supplies (ricotta, Queso Blanco and yogurt) finishing up with a teaser for Vivian’s Whey Caramel Sauce.

It was great fun and I’m waiting to hear how many of the 15 or so participants have tried this on their own. I’m contemplating a second hour including more cheese that require a culture and rennet, but still no pressing or aging.

I’m using supermarket pasteurized milk. I’d use organic, but all I can get here is ultra-pasteurized. I can get raw milk at our farmers market, but at $10 a half gallon I’ve not been sure that my skill level makes that a reasonable investment. One of these days I’ll get brave and try it.

Someone said I might be able to get goat’s milk at a local pet supply store. With pandemic restrictions I haven’t looked into it yet. I keep a cheese diary with notes on each cheese I make and try to leave room for observations once it’s ready to eat. This is not as detailed/precise as some of the “make sheets” I’ve seen, but it suits my purposes.

What are your goals for your cheese making?

Well, I started out of curiosity and have kept going because it’s fun and stretches me a bit. There is certainly a judgement and skill development aspect that is challenging. Besides, there is the (hopefully) great cheese to eat and share in the end.

I probably won’t take the time to fuss with cheddar much anymore. My favorite extra sharp cheddars are 18-24 months aged and I don’t have that kind of patience.

I’d like to master some of the mold ripened cheeses but my frugal Yankee nature balks at buying a bulk pack culture that I might use a tenth of before it expired. Maybe that’s how I’ll use some of my gift certificate! I’m itching to try the blue cheese that was Jim’s June recipe (Blue By You), but it’s about $50 worth of culture.

I suspect I’m like a lot of makers who are devoted to “A Better Whey.” I am strictly a hobby cheese maker with no aspirations to keep goats, acquire fancier/bigger equipment or take my cheese to local markets. Although maybe a pH meter is next on the list.

I never want to get up in the morning thinking I “have to” make a batch of cheese. But it’s wicked cool when everything comes together and a cheese I’ve made has a surprising flavor or even just has the look and consistency of its commercial cousin.

I do try to plan ahead to have cheese for holidays or anytime I’ll see our kids/grandkids. Not sure how I’ll react to the coming holiday season since it looks like face-to-face celebrations are not going to be in the cards.

Do you have other hobbies?

They have been many and varied over the years. Very few “go away” but my involvement waxes and wanes. I grew up gardening – my Mom was originally a farm girl and that led naturally to the victory gardens of WW2 and beyond even into the 50s and 60s when I was growing up, though by that time the “farm” was the back yard of a 50×100 ft. suburban lot.

I’ve been a gardener ever since, although we’ve given up vegetable gardening in the last few years in favor of our wonderful farmers markets. I also started canning as a girl and continue to preserve a few staples. I am using exclusively a water-bath canner, so that means only high acid things like pickles and tomatoes or high sugar things like jellies/jams/fruits.

Flowers and shrubs (including some very amateur bonsai specimens) are my forte now in the garden.

I learned knitting and sewing from my Mom as well and practice both to this day and added embroidery on my own. I recently picked back up a (kit based) cross stitch sampler that has probably been 15 years in the making, but I’ll finish it eventually.

I’m an avid bread baker and have been since we were first married – we very seldom buy bread. I’ve managed to stay stocked with flour and yeast during the pandemic even as the whole world has gone crazy for baking.