MAINE, USA — Sunday, October 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. statewide marks the 13th Annual Open Creamery Day presented by The Maine Cheese Guild.
"I think it's really important that people understand where their food comes from, especially cheese. Cheese takes a long time it is a lot of work, and if people can see the connection between the grass that grows, the animals that then make the milk that then the people who milk the animals, and then you make the cheese and its a huge process. Supporting Maine dairies is very important to keep our rural economies alive and plus cheese is delicious!" says Jessie Dowling, president of the Maine Cheese Guild and owner of Fuzzy Udder Creamery
The Open Creamery Day always happens the Sunday of Indigenous Peoples' Day weekend.
The Maine Cheese Guild addresses that cheesemaking in Maine has boomed in the last decade with hundreds of cheeses to taste straight from the source.
"With Fuzzy Udder what we did is that we set up an event page where we had 10 slots per half hour, where you could do a tour and then end up with a cheese plate and sit outside at a picnic table and that seemed to work really well," says Dowling.
These are the Maine creameries around the state that will be open Sunday. In some creameries, people can meet the animals that make the milk, tour the creamery, or buy its cheese products.
These are the participating Open Creameries in Maine for the event:
- Abraham's Creamery ~ Newport
- Appleton Creamery ~ Farm stand Only ~ Appleton
- Balfour Farm ~ Pittsfield
- Dreamin' Fahm ~ Wilton
- Fuzzy Udder Creamery ~ Whitefield
- Lakin Gorges Cheese ~ Waldoboro
- Maison de Chevre ~ Dover-Foxcroft
- ME Water Buffalo Co. ~ Appleton
- Sunflower Farm & Creamery ~ Cumberland
- Three Charm Farm ~ Alfred
- Turning Page Farm ~ Monson
Here is the link to a map of participating creameries.
"There are 13 Maine creameries involved plus four that are doing an online like virtual component where you can purchase cheese boxes ahead of time," says Dowling. "It's a great way to kind of experience Maine cheese and stay into the small groups that people need to be in right now."
You can still participate and buy local products virtually by heading to LocalGoodsGathered.com to purchase the Open Creamery Day Box. This box includes tasting portions for four people from Kennebec Cheesery, Pineland Farms Dairy, and Silvery Moon Creamery. Each box will include a link to watch clips filmed at the Creamery and by the cheesemakers.