a brief history
Cobb Hill Cheese has been handcrafting artisan cheeses, on the farm in Hartland, Vermont since 2000. We age all our cheeses in our cave. The natural rinds are developed first by brining and then by aging on racks in the cave for 2-12 months. Our award winning Ascutney Mountain Cheese was the 1st type we made followed shortly with Caerphilly, a Welsh style cheddar suited to the rich milk from the cows. In 2016 we branched out into making farmhouse style Gouda. We have our Goudas smoked at Grafton Village Cheese. Our Havarti, is available in plain or dill. Our Brownsville Trail, is a caraway infused Alpine cheese. Our Oh My Gouda is now available as a baby wheel for any occasion. Every batch of cheese is made from fresh milk every other day. Cedar Mountain Farm's jersey cows provide a rich milk which imparts a delicious, nutty flavor to the cheese. Our cheese makers follow the age-old process of heating milk, adding lactic bacteria and vegetable rennet, hand stirring the curd, hooping and pressing.
Meet the Cheese Makers
Kerry Gawalt
Kerry founded Cedar Mountain Farm with husband Stephen Leslie in 1995. They added cows to the farm in 1998 and began milking in 2000. Kerry has become a cheesemaker in 2016 after making cheese at home for many years. She brings together both sides of the business-fresh milk and delicious cheese.
Lisa Marchetti
Lisa has worked on many farms and homesteads around the northeast, growing vegetables milking goats and cows and assisting cheesemakers at Rawson Brook Farm in Massachusetts and Lazy Lady Farm in Westfield Vermont. Her first introduction to dairy animals and cheese making was in California ten years ago on a WWOOFing adventure. She has carried with her a passion for this realm of farm and food work with her and is thrilled to have taken up the position of Cheesemaker at Cobb Hill.
Mariena Sciarra
Mariena has been part of the Cobb Hill cheese and Cedar Mountain Farm team for 2 years. Mariena is our cheese tour and tasting host and is an assistant cheese maker.
Liz Bleakey
Liz has a passion for cheese making and dairy goats. She joined our operation last year. She bring years of talent to our business. Liz now has launched her own cheese business using the milk from our herd of cows.
We are located at Cobb Hill CoHousing
Cobb Hill is an intentional cohousing community comprised of people learning to live lightly on the earth and building community among ourselves and with our Hartland neighbors. The intention of sustainability underlies the living, farming, land stewardship, learning and teaching activities across all components of the community. We bought the 260 acre farm and forest in 1997. By 2002 we completed construction of 23 homes.
Supporting Sustainable Agriculture
Cobb Hill Cheese, Cedar Mountain Farm, Cobb Hill Maple Syrup , and Cobb Hill Shiitake Mushrooms all find a home on Cobb Hill's farmland.
