Choiniere

Matt spends a day at the Boucher farm and teaches us how blue cheese is made. In this video, the curds are just starting to appear as the whey drains out of the basin. Another step in the process toward the final product!

Throughout the winter of 2010 and 2011, Matt has been visiting local farms throughout Vermont. In this video, he introduces us to Dawn Boucher who teaches us a bit about the process of making blue cheese.

Guy pans his camera around the front yard of the farmhouse and across the street to show the winter scenery. He talks about what he and his family do on the farm during the winter.

The cows return to the barn, walking along the new cattle lane Guy built for them. Guy discusses the new road surface, as well as the pleasant surprises of a new calf in the barn and having spotted some deer.

Hershey and her calf, Kiss, are “doing great” and continuing to bond.

After a long, busy week of calving and other farm duties, all the humans and animals on the Choiniere Family Farm look forward to a laid-back day.

Hannah demonstrates that “working on the farm really builds some muscles.” (Guy cautions: “Don’t try this at home.”)

“A successful farming system is a sustainable farming system. My definition of ‘sustainability’ is a system that can make it through the good times and the bad.” Guy presents a chart showing a pyramid of his farming priorities.

Matt explains that Spiffy had a heifer calf a few days ago. She and her calf, Spunky, will spend the next few weeks bonding in the hoop barn, which serves as the “maternity pen” in summer. Then Spiffy will return to the herd, and Spunky will go to the calf pen.

Scout follows an infrared beam from Jessy’s flashlight around the barnyard until he tires out.