Rural Vermont’s wildly popular “Beyond Milk: Raw Dairy Processing” workshops return after a long hiatus with a special class on Wednesday, June 8th, followed by a Raw Milk Victory Celebration and Ice Cream Social, at Jersey Girls Dairy, located at 157 Thompson Rd. in Chester, VT.
The class is scheduled from 1 – 4 pm and participants will learn to make raw milk ice cream and ricotta cheese, with the guidance of Jersey Girls farmer Lisa Kaiman and local foods enthusiast Mary Jane Rando. This hands-on class will give folks the opportunity to churn Jersey girls’ rich and lovely cream into everyone’s favorite summer treat, followed by a lesson using the skim milk byproduct to make luscious and versatile ricotta cheese. The class fee is $20 – 40 sliding scale, and proceeds benefit Rural Vermont. Pre-registration is required, class size is limited, and this class is sure to sell out. Get in touch today to reserve your spot by calling Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 or emailing shelby@ruralvermont.org.
Following the social will be a Raw Milk Victory Celebration from 7 – 8:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to head over to Jersey Girls Dairy to celebrate the signing of S.105 with live music, a door prize, and raw milk ice cream freshly made just hours prior at the dairy class! This event is rain or shine and free (donations kindly appreciated).
S.105, the dubbed “dairy class bill”, restores farmers’ ability to sell raw milk and protects the rights of Vermonters to learn about and make raw milk dairy products in the privacy of their own kitchens.
Speaking about the weight of this victory, Jersey Girls farmer and host Lisa Kaiman says, “The dairy classes are a win-win-win in my opinion – the customer gets even further benefit from already superior product, the raw milk, if that’s even possible, the farmers in turn sell more milk, and Rural Vermont is largely responsible for both the ability to sell raw milk and now, the option of making stuff with it!! Raw milk – it’s not just for drinking anymore!!”
Rural Vermont is scheduling dairy classes throughout the summer, including “Butter, Yogurt, Whipped Cream, and Scones” on July 23rd and August 13th at Hawk’s Hill Farm in Barnard, and “Kefir, Ricotta, and Soft Serve with Goat’s Milk” on July 28th at Twin Acres in Randolph Center. More classes are added weekly – check the Rural Vermont website for the most recent info or call to be added to the mailing list.
Rural Vermont is a statewide nonprofit group founded by farmers in 1985. For the last 25 years, Rural Vermont has been advancing its mission of economic justice for Vermont farmers through advocacy and education. For more info, call (802) 223-7222.
Lisa Kaiman shows off a batch of freshly made soft cheese at a previous dairy processing class