Callicoon Farmers' Market?  denied
In March of '07, Calkins Creamery submitted an application to be a vendor at the Callicoon Farmers' Market.  Our application was turned down.  In March '08, we re-applied.  Our application, again, was turned down.  On April 13th, we pleaded our case to the Board of Directors (Sullivan County Farmers' Markets) and read a statement explaining why we believe we should be admitted to the market.  Four other vendors also took the time to write letters and/or make statements on our behalf.  The subsequent vote was 5-3 against our farm.  While we didn't receive a formal explanation for the denial, we believe that:

1. Calkins Creamery was built to help sustain Highland Farm.  Preventing the Creamery from selling at local farmers' markets handicaps this effort and does not fit with the SCFMA's Mission Statement.  We can encourage farms to sustain and preserve themselves, but if we do not allow them to sell at local farmers' markets, much of our efforts may be in vain.  In our case, Callicoon is truly a local market, located just 12 miles from the farm.
2. Competition may slightly reduce the short-term sales of existing cheesemakers, but will help build a better market for all farmers in the long run.  Consumers crave variety.  How else is a market to grow?
3. Allowing only the board of directors, which is made up of current vendors, to vote on which farms will be admitted to the SCFMA markets is like letting a fox guard the henhouse.  Many worthy farms surely apply each year and are turned down due to certain board members thinking with their wallets instead of about what's best for the markets in the long run.

We encourage like-minded folks, particularly those that live in the Callicoon area and shop at the market, to write letters to the SCFMA Board of Directors.  Calkins Creamery is not the only farm that has been excluded from their local farmers' market.  The markets are for the customers, but they are also for the farmers!    

Letters may be submitted to:

Sullivan County Farmers' Markets
attn: Board of Directors
c/o Cornell Cooperative Extension
64 Ferndale-Loomis Road
Liberty, NY 12754

Ramondo's Cheese!  1841 & 4 Dog Dill
Our two classic American Havarti-style cheeses are now available in Chester County at Ramondo's Cheese!.  Ramondo's Cheese! of Phoenixville opened in September of 2005, and specializes in fine cheese, fine food, and much more. Cheese! carry's a wide selection of both European and American artisan cheeses as well as gourmet food products. Specifically, Cheese! has a fine selection of coffees, teas, soups, sandwiches, prepared foods, candies and breads.
 
Going to Philly?:  Fair Food Farmstand
Calkins Creamery cheeses are now available at the Fair Food Farmstand in the historic Reading Terminal Market.  The market carries a variety of fresh produce, meats, poultry, dairy, eggs and cheese from organic and sustainable farms throughout the southeast Pennsylvania region.  They emphasize local and artisinal foods from small-scale producers, like humanely raised meats, organic and specialty fruits and vegetables, and raw milk cheeses.

Finally New Jersey!:  Dearborn Market
Beginning in late April Vampire Slayer & Old Man Highlander will be landing in the artisan cheese section of the Dearborn Market in Holmdel, NJ.  Now our weekend customers from New Jersey can get a taste of Calkins Creamery at home during the week.  Dearborn Market includes a deli, butcher shop, bakery, Italian specialty and gourmet groceries and a catering operation. The produce section is bigger than ever, displaying over 200 fresh items throughout the year. Dearborn also ships gift baskets nationwide.

Callicoon Wine Merchant:  Old Man Highlander
This new shop in downtown Callicoon, NY, is the sole retailer for our new aged, mold-ripened Gouda.  Windy Hill is an old-fashioned, neighborhood cheese shop specializing in handcrafted local and imported cheeses. You don't have to be a cheese expert to visit, as they'll be happy to provide samples to help you along. Everything is cut to order, so you can choose how much or how little you want. They also offer a variety of artisan cured meats and unique specialty products that are made from across the street to around the world.

News & Media:
The Milk Can, creamery newsletter: 2nd Quarter '08 - NEW
WEDCO Innovation Award
Eddie Adams Workshop
River Reporter 
PA Dept of Ag
     
   Calkins Creamery, constructed in 2006, was built by the Bryant Family on the family farm, with the hope of sustaining the farm across many more generations.  The creamery offers farmstead artisan cheeses in the styles of Gouda, St. Paulin, Tomme, Havarti, Caerphilly and Cheddar.  All cheeses are produced with only the freshest raw milk from our own herd of registered Holsteins and are aged for a minimum of 60 days right on site at the creamery.
   The Bryant Family manages a herd of 84 registered milking Holsteins.  Emily, the youngest daughter, is the cheesemaker.  Milk from the herd is transferred directly from the milking barn to the cheese vat via underground process piping.  This assures that only the freshest milk is used in the process.  With this unique setup, the milk can arrive in the cheese vat with minimal degradation.  Most folks don't realize that milk goes through multiple processing steps between cow and consumer, and we've eliminated those steps to deliver the highest quality milk possible.
   Once in the cheese vat, the milk is transformed into curds and whey using time, temperature, agitation, culture and rennet (vegetable-based).  Once the curds and whey separate, the whey is pumped into an outdoor holding tank and is eventually fed to our pigs.  The remaining curds are scooped into molds and are pressed for varying amounts of time depending on the recipe.  After brining and drying, the cheeses are transferred into our aging room where they will remain for a minimium of 60 days.  
   
The cheeses: