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Health & Fitness

Local Pride

A local farmstead cheese wins a national recognition.

I've been a culinary professional since 1995 and I learned a lot; and yet I feel that in the months I've been working at Cherry Grove Farm I've learned about food more than ever before. 

As a cook, you get to see the finished product — the vegetable, the wine, the cheese. At the farm you get to see a whole new aspect: the creation of this food from the land. Cherry Grove is a grass-based farm that makes cheese. The cows eat the grass, produce milk and the farmer turns the milk into cheese. Simple, yet incredibly hard.

Farmstead cheese making is a way to work with nature. The soil, the grass, the cows, the milk, the air are all "ingredients" and the farmer/cheese maker's job is to orchestrate them into a fine piece of cheese. Sound heroic and a little "crazy"? Well it is...

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That's why I am thrilled that all the hard work and skill are now being rewarded: One of Cherry Grove Farm cheeses, Toma Primavera, was nominated as a finalist at the prestigious Good Food Award.

The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsibly produced. It is granted to outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients. It awards recipients who push their industries towards craftsmanship and sustainability, while enhancing the American agricultural landscape and building strong communities. Out of 900 entries from 46 states, Cherry Grove Toma has been selected as a finalist in the national Good Food Awards.

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When you get a chance you must visit the farm and see for yourself how your food is made in a sustainable and healthful way.

For more information about the farm, events and classes please visit the farm’s  website:www.cherrygrovefarm.com

To learn more about our amazing local food scene, please visit princetoneats.org. 

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