tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-297738872024-03-13T15:08:30.341-04:00The CheesesteadMarie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-17654905317934236962013-01-20T19:17:00.000-05:002013-01-20T19:17:21.308-05:00One Mile SouthThe chickens rise with the sunbut do not venture into the uniform white –there is no more earth to scratch.The farmer’s breath is taken with the violentgust wrapping its arms around her, into her.Matted hair and flushed cheeksher face weeps without sadness.Or for the brilliance of the day:the muted voice of the landthe afterthought of a tree on the horizon,weeping, too, against the north wind.As Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-90622558323758783452012-11-27T17:23:00.001-05:002012-11-27T17:23:43.140-05:00My neighbors' turkeysHave I told you about my neighbors?
Nora and Theo, two young, new farmers, live a mile south of me and raise meat animals. It's almost like we planned to create our own Dudley young farming commune. Who wants to join us? Twenty miles south of here in Phoenixville, Connecticut, Arvind and Margherita are making wine, so we just need someone on the bread and the beer and Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-54893293802032601072012-11-05T13:57:00.000-05:002012-11-05T14:00:44.502-05:00Pasteurized alternativesMy friend recently posed a question that I'd like to share here:
Hi darlin',
I am going to a baby shower this weekend and wanted to make this bread pudding
(I made it a few years ago and it is so good!). But- my very quick
research on google tells me that Comte and Emmenthaler cheeses are
unpasteurized. Now, while I don't think something bad will happen if my
pregnant friend has a bit of Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-39617936076954838532012-10-24T23:03:00.000-04:002012-10-24T23:03:23.527-04:00Joy Harjo writes when I do notPerhaps The World Ends Here
by Joy Harjo
The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.
The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.
We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.
It is here that children are given Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-67991926960339618252012-09-18T14:52:00.002-04:002012-09-18T14:53:39.144-04:00Registered BusinessToday, I am officially a business owner. Not a profitable one, but I have a registered business nonetheless!
Picking a contractor has been slow-going. Being a homeowner is a greater challenge than I ever expected. More on both subjects to come. In the meantime, I promised photographs of the farm so here they are. Enjoy:
Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-79228227137312830492012-07-31T17:24:00.000-04:002012-07-31T17:24:29.656-04:00Goat FixHello folks,
Yes, I've been missing in action this past month and now I'm back. Probably. Let me see... We are on the verge of closing on a farm! My company will be located in Dudley, Massachusetts on 23 acres of pasture. The hay barn will be converted into the cheesemaking facility. The goats will come later. Know of any good general contractors on the Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-89702109538243087712012-06-19T09:03:00.001-04:002012-06-19T09:04:32.026-04:00She Means BusinessForbes ran an article today by contributor Kathy Caprino about the documentary project shedding light on women entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur Jackie Baptist and film producer Elizabeth Dell, explained that “women entrepreneurs face more challenges than their male counterparts
in their journeys towards business success, particularly with regard to
raising capital. This is in spite of Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-86740160972413904332012-06-05T15:36:00.000-04:002012-06-05T15:36:24.059-04:00It's time...That's right. I've done my brainstorming, consulted with friends and family and it's time to change it up. Today I am announcing the official name selection of my cheesemaking company and farm. I can not claim the spark of genius behind the new name, but my mother can:
The Cheesestead
Yep, that's it. We went for something that "conjures up an atmosphere of home, Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-12965511109761941512012-05-14T08:40:00.000-04:002012-05-14T08:46:08.398-04:00Marie-ChristineIn honor of mother's day, The Farmer General came out with this month's theme: Motherlover. My piece is an interview and dedication to my own mom, Marie-Christine.
Marie-Christine published by The Farmer General on the 13th May 2012
In case you missed it, last month's theme was Black Sheep, for which I wrote about Cervo, the lopsided goat I met in Italy.
Cervo published by The Farmer Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-40449721676938851542012-05-08T10:14:00.002-04:002012-05-08T10:14:56.078-04:00Name surveyFor the 100th post on this blog I'm going to put everything into question. I'm working on marketing my cheese and company and I'd like your help, dear readers. Please tell me what you think of the name "Our Terroir"
for a cheese company. Do you: a) like it b) not like it c) feel indifferent d) feel confused e) other
Any feedback is appreciated. Especially reasons for Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-44917888633268884722012-05-01T19:05:00.000-04:002012-05-01T19:05:08.949-04:00Farm EntrepreneurshipIn case you mistakenly thought I just could not do more than start a business and write for The Farmer General, here's a blog post I submitted to Culture Magazine's website! Enjoy.
Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-82335133110638022892012-04-13T08:25:00.000-04:002012-04-13T08:25:04.288-04:00Another epic time-lapseYou want spectacular? I give you spectacular. The International Space Station time-lapse footage of the Earth at night is complete with city lights, thunderstorms, and aurora borealis. Go full screen for this one.
Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-64002181384172484162012-04-05T15:01:00.000-04:002012-04-12T14:54:40.957-04:00The VoteDo you like cookies? Do you read? Do you enjoy clicking on red
buttons? If you've said yes to any of these questions, go to the link
below and vote for my Farmer General article to win Best Piece of
Culinary Writing! I've been nominated, and you can sign in at the bottom of their page to make it count before April 26th!
http://www.saveur.com/food-blog-awards/vote.jsp?ID=1000013348
Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-13138022475506368522012-03-22T10:14:00.001-04:002012-03-22T10:17:18.190-04:00GoatAs local as local food gets...
Short piece written for The Farmer General published on the 16th of March 2012.Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-35456167171214189352012-03-15T09:56:00.000-04:002012-03-15T09:57:58.358-04:00How much for the universe?Why have I dreamed of becoming an astronaut my whole life? Why do I want to have my goat farm on the moon? THIS is why:
"Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson makes an interesting argument about the budget cuts to the space program and the future of our existence." See the original The Chive posting here.Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-69457451759954753402012-03-14T15:37:00.000-04:002012-03-14T15:38:31.082-04:00Maple Sugaring Season
Makeshift cheese dryer...
While I haven't written here in a while, I haven't forgotten you. In fact, I wrote a letter to my hosts in Europe expressing my thanks and describing my summary of experiences since I had seen them last. Meanwhile, I have been busy visiting properties, making cheese in the kitchen, meeting with cheesemakers and sleuthing around for milk and a cheeseplant.
Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-78253224432996084342012-02-16T10:56:00.002-05:002012-02-16T10:56:25.544-05:00Of debates and conferencesHere's a quick post on food and farm events this week that could be worth checking out. Tonight the Harvard Food Law Society is hosting a debate on the subject of raw milk. The conversation is happening from 7:15 to 8:45 pm at Langdell Hall on the Harvard Law School campus, but I'll be watching it streaming from their website.
Next Tuesday the 21st, UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-50856265743467832932012-02-14T09:08:00.001-05:002012-02-14T09:09:06.551-05:00The Meal: Much More than EatingPublished with The Farmer General 13th of February 2012
The magazine got a makeover you might like to admire.Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-85349664648920183902012-02-09T13:18:00.000-05:002012-02-13T10:12:28.357-05:00Made to survive armageddonEmily Van Halem, Eat Local, Taste Global Coordinator at The Stop Community Food Center in Toronto, recently wrote a piece for Shameless on young women farmers. Emily opens a window to this world, interviewing twenty-somethings, their reasons for choosing this career, and their challenges. It would seem that "intention, rather than necessity, appears to drive these young people to whatMarie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-78732159444345782492012-01-18T13:31:00.001-05:002012-01-18T17:15:21.589-05:00Phase teenagerSo commences the awkward period; beyond the childhood epoch of apprenticing in cheeseplants, in caves, and with farmers, I am not yet the entrepreneurial full-fledged farming adult. Tempting as it is to keep hopping from one bucolic landscape to another, this initial training period grows stale as I look toward embedding myself into one lone farm.
An initial trip to Vermont was lovely.&Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-51229998486218909302011-12-16T12:55:00.000-05:002011-12-16T12:59:03.310-05:00My mom is a ninjaI'm back in Massachusetts after an uneventful flight with the ever-cheap, yet endearing Iceland Air. I'm happy I was able to return, fee-free, with all my belongings, even with one-too-many carry on items and a few too many pounds of luggage. Some of the unique items that graced my suitcases are: a 10-inch long, 100-year-old nail found in the stone wall of an abandoned house in the Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-30966026794068867412011-12-08T04:05:00.001-05:002011-12-08T04:32:48.846-05:00To Create Something Exceptional
Photo credit: startupgyan.in
Browsing LinkedIn today I found this Fast Company article by Aaron Levie that resonated with me. The founder of Box discusses the advantages of being a small company - the magnitude of even the smallest issues, the agility in addressing those problems, and the empowerment of each employee as motivator for excellence and quality. If you're curious about Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-12972780576251760802011-12-05T08:02:00.001-05:002011-12-05T08:10:50.810-05:00Pleasure Does Not Discriminate"In a season of excess, sometimes it’s good to just admit to what you really REALLY want."
~ Editor-In-Chief
Poem for The Farmer General published 3rd December 2011Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-47639529824953829882011-11-24T04:46:00.001-05:002011-11-24T05:18:24.713-05:00Building A Future With FarmersEight months ago I encouraged anyone farming or thinking of farming to answer a survey by the National Young Farmers' Coalition about the start-up challenges faced by beginning farmers. The results came in two weeks ago and the report was even covered by the New York Times. As written on the Coalition website, 1,000 farmers from across the U.S. were surveyed, expressing that "access Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29773887.post-90397785859359657722011-11-17T07:38:00.001-05:002011-11-17T07:58:18.102-05:00Dear NASA, Pick me!NASA currently has an open call to recruit its newest set of astronauts. Farming is still my priority, so wouldn't it be great if we decided to build a moon base complete with goat farm?? I know - brilliant! Now let's see if I meet all of their basic requirements:
US citizenship: Yes!
Height between 62-72 inches and resting blood pressure less than 140/90: Yes, Yes!
20/20 Marie-Laurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08251566442130319755noreply@blogger.com0