Many of you have given us blog interviews in the last 10 years (since we started this blog) and many of you will be interviewed in the future (when we hear from you). We reached out to a few of our interviewees (randomly) to ask if they would share their experiences during this pandemic. We thought it would be best to ask folks we have already interviewed so we could link to their interviews and you could see more about who they are. The response has been overwhelming!
We have only contacted a few cheesemakers at this point – we went through and randomly picked out a small sample. If you are reading this and you would like to share a paragraph or two about your experience as a cheese maker during this pandemic, please send it to jeri@cheesemaking.com. We will post everyone’s story in a continuing series. If you haven’t been interviewed by us in the past, please let us know and we will get started with it right away. It simply involves answering some questions and sending us some pics.
The first article included responses from around the world – (click here)
This article includes responses from 4 cheesemakers within the US:
Q. How are you weathering the pandemic?
Khristy Grindle in Indiana
Khristy Grindle in Marion, Indiana (2019)
Friday, March 13th, the school system in which I work for made the decision to close its doors and begin e-learning (virtual learning) for the next few weeks to help slow the spread of Covid-19. Just a couple days later, my husband who works for a large Chrysler plant began working from home.
The original plan was to return to school April 13th, but the Governor has now mandated all schools remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Learning to educate my students on a digital platform has kept me very busy! I’ve been also assisting a local education consulting company with curriculum mapping, so I am very blessed for the work that continues ahead of me.
I have been so impressed with our community, and the United States, and how resilient and innovative our citizens have become during this difficult time! National Parks, museums, and zoos are offering free virtual tours. Churches are finding ways to still congregate members without meeting in person. Local High School Career Centers are volunteering to design and 3D print medical equipment needed in healthcare. I am proud to be an American!
As for cheesemaking, I stocked up on a variety of milk right when school let out, before the Governor issued a “stay at home order.” I ended up making a double batch of Colby, double batch of mozzarella, and farmhouse white cheddar. A local goat farm also had extra goat milk to share, so I made some chèvre and decided to try my hand at a goat milk Colby.
My aging fridges are near full, so I’m taking a bit of a break from cheesemaking while the cheeses finish aging. In addition, it’s difficult to get to the grocery store when there aren’t many people and there is a maximum amount of milk we can buy due to high demand. Plus, now is the best time to send my business to a local creamery who needs the cheesy customers!
Vivian Lucero in Oregon
Vivian Lucero in Otis, Oregon (2019), Vivian Lucero’s Whey Caramel Sauce (2019)
Tom and I are in our 60’s and 70’s and have been taking this “stay at home” mandate very seriously. We are considered high risk. Fortunately, we have always had a well stocked freezer and pantry because I love to cook so much.
I get really excited when Jim posts a new cheese recipe on the website! Recently it was a Brie Nuit that I made. Thank goodness I was all stocked up with everything I needed to make this cheese. I can’t say how it is yet because it’s still ripening. I made it on March 20th and we can’t wait to try it.
I also made his Robiolini which was a big hit among our friends with whom we shared. Now, if I only had some animals to produce the milk, I would never need to leave my home!
I’ve been making Camembert and Brie. They are always dependable in their results, ready to eat within a month or so and the most popular. I think bloomy rind cheeses are among my favorite cheeses to make.
In addition to all the cooking, we’ve spent time doing jigsaw puzzles. I also made homemade masks for ourselves and to give away. Tom is still volunteering at a community garden doing whatever projects need to get done. He is working alone outside, so that gets him out of the house and working for the good of the community. I purged my sewing and craft room to donate supplies for art projects being created for 150 kids out of school in our community.
We have also managed to have a couple of fun outdoor happy hours on our 40′ deck with friends and neighbors while maintaining an acceptable social distance. Everyone brings their own food and beverage so nothing is passed between us. It works!
Claire Barker in Southern Colorado
Claire Barker in Colorado (2018), How to Milk a Goat by Claire Barker (2018), Yogurt Tips from Claire Barker in Colorado (2015)
It is actually a wondrous relief to have meetings and gatherings and deadlines and my wee part time job cancelled for the unforeseeable future – like so many dominoes that have been felled so that the lay of the land is open and inviting for other possibilities.
My lifestyle has always been to avoid the grocery until it is stock up time, trade around for milk, eggs and veggies, do washable non-toxic cleanup rags, hankies, diapers … hang them in the sun for days and good to go. I’m not out of TP and, so rarely do I buy paper towels that I’m good.
The goaties are spitting out milk – despite the fact that I had been trying to get them to dry off after a three year stint so my sisters visit (which was cancelled), could go unfettered with milking chores … best laid plans! 🙂
I’m trying to make a lot of masks for my daughter who works in a busy E.R., and our son (whose job is on hold) is here, helping with a lot of those muscle activities that are much harder for us “old folks” now.
I worry about the environment – which ostensibly is getting a break from some of the emissions, but is getting besieged by vast amounts of disposable “stuff,” enormous drenching(s) of bleach and other chemicals, and once again – the moniker of being “the enemy”… when in reality – it is just life.
I wonder how much hoarded food will go to the dump, as lifestyles drift back into “the usual” – but – I also see the flip side of opportunity to mend our fences, assess our priorities and become generally better prepared for these scenarios – which can help us to deal with or shift priorities as we roll along trying to figure out how to be better people to those we love.
Maggie Byrd in Mississippi
Maggie Byrd in Holly Springs, Mississippi (2019)
One of Maggie’s 3 baby goats – Fiesty
This year I took myself off the Appraisal Fee Panel because both Lottie (my daughter) and I are in the high risk category.
Suddenly, in the lovely weather I have precious time to do all the tasks that needed to be done and I haven’t had time to do, including putting in a large garden.
Not working means I have fewer expenses. Not going out a lot means I’ve saved money as well.
My lovely Mercedes (goat) gave birth to three beautiful little kids that are cute as buttons. Two does and a buck. In about a week I can start to milk her again so we won’t be dependent on stores for our milk. That’s great. Excess will become cheese.
There has been no processed chicken at the Costco the last couple of trips I’ve made there so I’m about to plug in the chicken plucker and lighten the yard of the annoying roosters.
I’m considering incubating some eggs to have extra young chickens for fryers but that’s a long term kind of thing and I may be back to work by the time they were ready so I have held off so far.
I am planning to make some soap on a rainy day because of shortages of cleaning supplies. I’m also going to load up the stain sprayer and finish spraying the shed and the chicken house as well as the new front porch the workmen put in place
Honestly, it has been so nice to be able to accomplish so much in the cool pleasant spring weather that I am planning to take off this month every year from now on. It is good for the farm when I have time to be able to take care of things that have been waiting for too long.
___________________________________________________________
To read the third part of this series – https://blog.cheesemaking.com/cheesemakers-sharing-about-the-pandemic-a-series-3/
