Ag Day At The Legislature 2010

Maine Dairy Princesses in front of the Guild Booth at Ag Day at the Legislature

Maine Dairy Princesses in front of the Guild Booth at Ag Day at the Legislature

It was a wet Wednesday as Maine’s food producer representatives set up displays in the hall of flags in the Maine State House to meet and feed the Legislators as they cycled in and out of meetings and sessions. I had plenty of cheese donations, and everyone who passed our table stopped and said, “oh, I LOVE cheese!” before diving into our samples. Barbara Skapa from Echo Ridge Creamery arrived midway through to bring more samples and give me some assistance.
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It’s All Greek To Me

Does any one else make and sell Greek Yogurt? If so, you should be aware that our “secret” is out!

I offered Greek Yogurt in 2008 at the Belfast Farmers Market, and sold one package in four weeks, so I stopped making it. In 2009 I got requests for it as soon as the market started, and consistantly sold 4 to 8 packages a week. Lots of people asked what it is, and some of them ended up buying it. I told anyone who asked how they could save some money and make it themselves from my regular yogurt, and one or two people said they did, but everyone else said they were “too busy.” I still see lots of mentions of it in the press, so I expect even more demand for it in 2010.

Lost Forever?

persille_de_tignes_250The Associated Press reports on the possible demise of an ancient cheese from Alpine France: the Persillé de Tignes is now being made by the last of what used to be dozens of family cheesemakers in the Savoie village of La Savinaz. As these older varieties of cheese fade away, will newer versions take their place in the kaleidoscope of dairy flavors? Or will we forever lose a unique example of “milk’s leap toward immortality”?

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