THE STORY
At Blue Ledge Farm we believe in a food system that is based on a cornerstone of respect for the land, the animals and the consumer as well as our local community. We celebrate the opportunity to raise healthy, contented animals and make great cheese!
We began milking four goats at Blue Ledge Farm in 2000, and began processing cheese two years later. Today we milk 125 goats and produce eleven types of cheese, from very fresh to semi-aged bloomy rind cheeses, to harder cheeses aged three months and longer. True to our mission, our focus is always on sustaining a high-quality, consistent product with lots of attention and gentle handling.
The 150 acres of Blue Ledge Farm consist of woods, hayland, pasture and wetland and is conserved by the Vermont Land Trust. In 2016 we were certified as an Animal Welfare Approved farm. As such, we are inspected annually to ensure that our animals have adequate space, comfort and access outside. Our goats spend their spring, summer and fall days browsing in the woods, return to the barn for 4 pm milking and lounge around in a grass pasture as evening sets. Our goats live a life of luxury and as we run from job to job across the farm we sometimes wonder who works for who!
When Greg and Hannah aren’t milking goats or making cheese they can be found in their painting studio or with their nose in a book of poetry. Check out their oil paintings at Blue Ledge Gallery, and some of their poetry on the blog at www.blueledgefarm.com.
LOCATION
Blue Ledge Farm
Gregory Bernhardt & Hannah Sessions
2001 Old Jerusalem Rd, Salisbury, VT 05769
802-247-0095
sales@blueledgefarm.com
blueledgefarm.com
Blue Ledge Farm welcomes visitors Friday mornings from 8-12.
OUR PRODUCTS
Pepper Chevre
With a creamy, fresh and pillowy texture, our chevre has converted many-a-skeptic over to goat cheese! Our curds are all hand-ladeled which results in the light consistency of our fresh cheeses. We make a pepper crusted chevre, as well as plain and herb crusted. They all pair well with a light white wine, or a lighter beer (though the pepper chevre can hold it’s own with a darker brew).
Herbal Chevre
With a creamy, fresh and pillowy texture, our chevre has converted many-a-skeptic over to goat cheese! Our curds are all hand-ladled which results in the light consistency of our fresh cheeses. We make an herb crusted chevre, as well as plain and pepper crusted. They all pair well with a light white wine, or a lighter beer (though the pepper chevre can hold it’s own with a darker brew).
Middlebury Blue
A raw cow’s milk blue, made with Ayrshire milk from the cows next door. Aged sixty days, it is both creamy and crumbly and dare we say “town meets gown”, that unique experience when good earthy Vermont grit meets smooth high brow academia with nothing short of poetic results.
Winner of Yankee Magazine’s “Editor’s Choice Award” November 2013!
For information on where to purchase, click here.
Maple Chevre
The best of Vermont, in one cup! Plain savory goat cheese, mixed with sweet Vermont Maple Syrup and you have the perfect spread for crackers, toast, or the center of a fruit plate.
For information on where to purchase, click here.
Camembrie
Made with fresh Ayrshire cow’s milk, this is a smooth mold-ripened Camembert/Brie hybrid! A buttery slice of bovine heaven! Goes well with a light red or white wine. A great match for any type of cured meats as well!
For more information on where to purchase, click here.
Riley’s Coat
In memory of Riley the herding dog, Riley’s Coat is a raw milk, natural rind cheese aged for over four months. It is wonderful for slicing or grating; a mature, smooth cheese with a gentle taste that lingers.
For more information on where to purchase, click here.
Lake’s Edge
Named after the shades and patterns of stone along Lake Champlain, this mold ripened goat’s milk cheese, aged 30 days, bears a shadowy coat of white and black, presenting a stronger goat flavor combined with an earthly streak of ash throughout – the result of being a cheese which is dramatic in both flavor and appearance.
For more information on where to purchase, click here.
La Luna
An aged raw milk cheese similar to a gouda, with a mild flavor that develops a sharpness over time.
For more information on where to purchase, click here.
Crottina
This is the cheese that “put us on the map” when it took a first place award in the American Cheese Society competition in 2006. Since then it has won loyal goat fans for it’s classic simplicity. Aged for three weeks, the texture of this cheese is velvety and smooth, with a white mold exterior. It goes well with a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc wine. We love this cheese with a dollop of honey!
For more information on where to purchase, click here.
Fresh Chevre
With a creamy, fresh and pillowy texture, our chevre has converted many-a-skeptic over to goat cheese! Our curds are all hand-ladeled which results in the light consistency of our fresh cheeses. We make a plain chevre, as well as herb crusted, pepper crusted and maple infused! They all pair well with a light white wine, or a lighter beer (though the pepper chevre can hold it’s own with a darker brew).