Dairy on the Moove

Last week at the Orleans County Fair the public got a new look and taste of dairy. Dairy on the Moove is a trailer equipped with a pasteurizing and cheese making vat. Fair goers were able to watch the milk from the dairy cows exhibited at the fair be made into cheddar cheese curds while munching away at the “fruits” of the cheese maker’s labor.

This unique solution came about from a common problem. Last year just prior to the fair season fairs and dairy producers were notified by the milk co-op that they would not be picking up milk at the fairs any longer. The directors at the Orleans County Fair and others scrambled to find a solution, but were only able to sell the milk at a reduced price for pigs and calves or dumped it.

This winter a few of the Orleans County directors, including Kelly Langmaid from the Newport Farm Credit office, got together and started brainstorming ideas, thus the birth of Dairy on the Moove. This committee was able to raise $75,000 from industry support, including a donation from Yankee Farm Credit, to put this mobile unit together. The idea is the unit will go from fair to fair equipped with a cheese maker and helper(s). Other county fairs in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and even Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, MA have expressed interest as a way to utilize at least a portion of the milk produced to educate the public about the dairy industry. Future plans may utilize further milk with additional products such as ice cream.

The cheese curds were a big hit and sold out every day of the fair. Included are a few pictures of the unit as well as the process and the final product. The unit was run by the committee after a crash course in cheese making, as well as Marisa Mauro, owner of Ploughgate Creamery in South Albany, VT and Tucker Purchase of Fairmont Dairy in Craftsbury, VT. A special thanks to the sponsors for believing in the idea when there were many that did not. Also, to Marisa and Tucker for being crazy enough to love the idea and willing to fight to make it happen! The unit will make an appearance this week at the Caledonia County Fair in Lyndonville, VT. Come on out and try some squeaky cheese!

The vat:


The system:


Cutting the cheese:


Curds and whey:


Kelly and Tucker flipping slabs:


The final product!


Click here for the WCAX article on 8/19/10.

Click here for the article on the front page of the Burlington Free Press on 8/21/10.

Pictures and write-up submitted by Kelly Langmaid. Thanks, Kelly!