Blue Ledge Farm

Blue Ledge Farm was established in Leicester, Vermont as a goat dairy in 2000 and became a cheese operation in 2002. The husband-and-wife team is Hannah Sessions and Greg Bernhardt, with help from daughter Livia and son Hayden, use the milk from their 75 goats to produce their three varieties of chees: fresh chevre, semi-aged crottina, and La Luna farmstead gouda.

We believe that contented goats make good tasting milk and cheese, so we go to great lengths to provide a good life for our animals. As a local reporter once noted, "Sessions and her husband half-jokingly describe their goats as employees. However, their obvious affiection for these animals led this observer to speculate that these [animals] are more like an extended family"*

We operate on a seasonal basis, following the goat's pattern in nature. This means no milk is produced during the months of early winter. Our goat graze in pasture and woods from April through November, when a great majority of the cheesemaking is happening. This leads to busy springs and summers, but allows time for reflection during the winter months. This varied diet also results in a cheese which has a great complexity of flavor.

*Valley Voice, Nov. 6, 2002

Goat:
Crottina, a semi-aged cheese, white mold-covered, the crottina has a firm, velvety texture with a bite which is distinctly goat!

Goat:
La Luna, is an aged raw milk cheese similar to a gouda, with a mild flavor that develps a sharpness over time.

Goat:
Lake's Edge, named after the shades and patterns of stone along Lake Champlain, this mold ripened goat's milk cheese, aged 30 days, bears a shadowy coat of white and black, presenting a stronger goat flavor combined with an earthly streak of ash throughout - the result of being a cheese which is dramatic in both flavor and appearance.

Goat:
Riley's Coat, in memory of Riley the herding dog, Riley's Coat is a raw milk, natural rind cheese aged for over four months. It is wonderful for slicing or grating; a mature, smooth cheese with a gentle taste that lingers.