They look so pretty in  pictures - neat round ivory packages, sculpted wedges, speckled with herbs. And
cheese from Yellow Springs Farm tastes even better.

I know, because my teenage son, Emmett, is on a strict cheese rationing program. The boy can clean out the refrigerator like some kind of Space Age, industrial vacuum...but he knows that gulping goat cheese from Yellow Springs Farm is absolutely verboten.

I am willing to share...a bit. And after some convincing, my boy is gradually learning to slice, chew, slow down and savor - difficult lessons for a young man in a fast-paced, fast food world. In fact, it's a difficult lesson for a lot of us.

Disappearing Cheese

Catherine Renzi, who owns and operates Yellow Springs Farm, with her husband, Al knows this is true. Some of her CSA customers have admitted a dirty little secret to her - sometimes the packages of cheese they pick up from her Chester Springs farm every other week, never make it into the refrigerator.

"They say they've eaten it all in the car on the way home," she said.

Al and Catherine Renzi of Yellow Springs Farm

It's ironic that this cheese can disappear so fast, given the amount of time and careful, painstaking, attention and labor that go into making every creamy, delicious ounce. It's a seven days a week, dawn to dusk (and beyond) kind of job.

"It really is a lifestyle," Catherine said.

Sunrise/Sunset

Catherine rises before the sun, grabs some coffee and takes care of bills and email. By 7a.m., the 50-60 goats are being milked and cared for. By 9 a.m., the first batch of cheese is in the pasteurizer. Then there are customers to serve, eight acres of preserved land with native plants and herbs to tend, equipment to clean and sanitize.

By noon, it's back to making cheese: washing the curd, brushing it with oil or brine, turning it, and changing its position in the cheese cave to ensure it's exposed to correct temperature and humidity.

By 4:30, it's time to milk the goats again, prepare for shipments and CSA pick-ups, to prepare for farmers' markets (like ours every Saturday 9 a.m.-1p.m.) and to make plans, like the big plans that have transformed their historic property to a fully-sustainable farm.

Sharing a Sustainable Future

Yellow Springs Farm began with Al and Catherine's dream of preserving a piece of land for the future. Today, it operates as farms used to - the goats eat invasive plants, goat manure is composted to fertile native plants, and the herbs grown onsite flavors the cheese. Their hope is to share their vision of sustainability.

It's a lot of work, balancing all those factors. But the outcome is worth it. Even people who are hesitant to try cheese made from goats' milk are won over by the Renzi's efforts. Their cheeses are organically made, with vegetarian rennet, and they far more healthy than cheese made from cows. Goat cheese is lower in calories and fat, and higher in protein, calcium and other nutrients. But most importantly, Yellow Springs Farm's cheese tastes so good.

Once people try it, the problem isn't convincing them to eat it. The real challenge is convincing them not to eat it all before they get home.

No Singin' the Blues - We've still got Berries

Sadly the season for local strawberries seemed to end as quickly as it began. But we still have the memories.

No time to get maudlin, however, fresh blueberries are here in abundance (and local cherries from Frecon Farms should be around another week)! Longview Center for Agriculture has lots of them, and Yellow Springs Farms has locally-raised blueberry bush for sale that can bring you handfuls of healthy snacks every summer.

Blueberries are truly local fruit. They've been growing wild along the Eastern coast of North America for as long as anyone can remember, and they were widely used by Native Americans, but they didn't become popular in Western culinary circles until the Civil War.

I wonder why such healthy goodness took so long to catch on. Blueberries are just 80 calories per cup, fat-free and packed with good stuff, like fiber and Vitamin C. Plus the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), lists blueberries among the top fruits and veggies that provide antioxidants.

Blueberries have a dusty, white "bloom" to protect them, so don't rinse them until you are ready to eat them. Their many nutrients are best maintained when kept cold, so pop them in the fridge when you get them home, but definitely don't let that stop you from enjoying them baked in your favorite pie or muffin. Also, they freeze well for baking after blueberry season is over...but let's not think about that now. That could really cause the blues.