Central New York Cheese
Become a Trail Blazer!
Squeaky firm cheese curds. Cheddar spreads infused with smoked bacon and horseradish, garlic and herbs, or buffalo wing essence. Salty-crunchy aged cheddar, snowy-white goat cheeses, golden handmade butters. Hop on the Central New York Cheese Trail and experience all these flavors and textures for yourself!
The trail was created in 2019, thanks to the collaborative efforts of four counties and a team of engaged cheese makers and dairy farmers. Suzie Jones, who runs Jones Family Farm in Herkimer with her husband, Peter, helped spark the initiative. “It’s heart-breaking to see shuttered and defunct farms in the region these days. Opportunities like the cheese and various beverage trails around Central New York remind people of the area’s strong agricultural heritage. Setting up this trail encourages people to get out and explore, make connections to the farms and the makers and see how their food is produced.”
From artisan to farmstead, all products are made with the highest quality local cow, sheep and goat’s milk. Aged white cheddars, curds (definitely a Central New York favorite), gelato and butters and farmstead cheeses appear in a variety of flavor combinations. Humble products that reflect Central New York: honest and delicious without a lot of hype. And that’s part of the fun.
The other joy is the journey itself. The trail leads you to 11 stops, including three retail cheese counter locations, from Cooperstown to Remsen, Hamilton to Herkimer, Vernon to Barneveld. Route 28 hugs the banks of West Canada Creek, a renowned fishing stream, with plenty of spots to pull off for a picnic. Route 26 meanders through the heart of Amish farm country in Madison County, where you’ll share the two-lane road with black horse-drawn carts. Give yourself time to appreciate the panoramic views of rolling hills, expansive pastures, hay and corn fields; asphalt ribbons draped across the rural terrain; creeks and streams running hard by the road. Ranch houses, trailer homes, and barns that have seen better days. This is true farm and dairy country. The land of cheese curd.
Each location offers a store built into a corner of a barn or an adjacent structure. At most of the shops, you’re likely to bump into the farmer or cheese maker, who are genuinely happy to chat for a few minutes and explain their business.
Pick up an official Cheese Trail Blazer card at any location, get it stamped at each stop, and earn a free insulated tote upon completing the journey. And don’t feel compelled to complete the entire Cheese Trail in one shot; it’s an adventure, not a race. Besides—you can enjoy more cheese that way!
Google Central New York Cheese Trail for more information.
ADIRONDACK CHEESE COMPANY
Barneveld
Adirondack Cheese Company specializes in the famed New York State white cheddars aged from under a year to seven years old. “We source our cheddar in 40-pound wheels then age, cut and package in our processing room,” says Tony Leiker, who started the business in 2006 with Craig Shaffer. Tony’s sister, Debby Leiker, is the chief buyer.
“We make all the spreads here in our two certified kitchens,” Tony continues. “Some flavors include horseradish, port wine, garlic herb, sundried tomato, maple bacon, orange honey and cranberry, peppercorn, buffalo wing. We also offer brick cheeses in many of the same flavors, in addition to bags of plain or flavored curds.”
The retail shop also offers a broad array of cured meats, gourmet foods and specialty gifts primarily from New York State. “Our Barneveld location is the ideal stop en route to or from the Adirondacks,” Tony says. And yes, there are plenty of samples!
GRASSY COW DAIRY
Remsen
Leon Atwell started farming in 1995, with a herd of grass-based grazing cows. 150 cows generate a lot of milk, so Leon took the cheese-making course at Penn State in November 2012 and opened the creamery with his wife, Angela, in 2014. The couple produced their first cheese in April 2015.
“We make primarily cheese curd—hands down our best seller,” Leon says. “We make an aged farmhouse cheddar style, in 20 different flavors. We rotate through three or four each week. You can check Facebook to see the flavors of the week and other farm happenings. We make curd weekly April through January. If you come on a Thursday, you can watch the process through the window.”
The Atwells’ cheery knotty pine self-serve store (open daily dawn to dusk) is stocked with their cheeses, ground beef, farm eggs and other local products.
STOLTZFUS FAMILY DAIRY
Vernon Center
Stoltzfus Family Dairy started in 2008, a five-way partnership among family members. Highest quality milk is a Stoltzfus priority, which they source from their three family farms located within 10 miles of the creamery.
Cream-line yogurts and milks are made with pasteurized but not homogenized whole milk, which makes for richer, creamier flavor. Yogurts are cup-set, with local maple as sweetener, or blended with fresh-cooked fruits, processed on site.
Cheeses are fresh, not aged. Curd is the top seller, in nine flavors. Farmstead cheeses come in five flavors. The softer cheese melts well and makes an excellent toasted cheese sandwich. The retail store opened in 2010 and sells baked goods and locally made crafts.
JONES FAMILY FARM
Herkimer
Wisconsin natives Peter and Suzie Jones know dairy and meat. Peter had always worked on farms, and Suzie comes from dairy and beef families. The couple landed in Herkimer in 2004 because the rolling hills and rural character reminded them of home. “The water is good, the grass grows well, and the views are spectacular,” Suzie says. “Anything else can be fixed.”
The Jones transitioned the farm from cows to goats and pastured poultry and taught themselves how to make fresh goat cheeses. They started making gelato so they could source even more cow and goat’s milk and support their neighboring farms. “We have such a fantastic network of farmers around us. They’ve been our teachers and guides, offering emotional support, loaning and repairing equipment. I can’t imagine doing this without them!”
Suzie and Peter produce chèvre, feta, cheddar, blue, mozzarella and cream cheese. Gelato comes in unique seasonal flavors ranging from roasted plum and honey, blueberry lemon cheesecake, chocolate orange, rhubarb custard, and a true CNY classic, half moon cookie.
Visitors can buy dairy products along with pastured chickens and free-range eggs in the on-farm store, open daily year-round.
JEWETT’S CHEESE HOUSE
Earlville
Jewett’s Cheese House celebrates its 50th anniversary this year! Terri Jewett- Larkin and her son, Chris Larkin, run the business started by Terri’s parents in 1970. The Jewetts specialize in aging 45-pound blocks of premium New York State cheddars (made by McCadam Cheese Company in Western New York) in their temperature-controlled warehouse across the road from the shop. “Our family has one of the largest privately owned cheddar inventories in the Northeast, more than 44,000 pounds,” says Chris.
Visitors are urged to taste the aged cheddars, named after ancestors such as Granny, Pappy, Old Mac, and the Colonel, starting with the youngest and working up to the 20-year-old. The two-year-old is smooth while the eight-year-old might have some pleasant crunchy crystals. Contrary to logic, the oldest cheddar has no bitter taste, its sharpness mellowed by time. We humans should take note.
In addition to aged cheddars, curds and assorted flavored cheeses, the shop also sells regional mustards and relishes, jams, local chicken, beef and pork. “Local is important to us all,” Chris states. “If we don’t support each other, who will?”
KRIEMHILD DAIRY FARMS
Hamilton
Like butter? Like butter! This small farmer-owned business specializes in sweet cream and European-styled cultured butters and crème fraîche. Kriemhild Dairy Farms honors and sustain Central New York’s rich dairy tradition by partnering with five grass-based family farms in Norwich and Hamilton, who maintain the same standards for livestock health and pasture management.
Head butter maker Natalie Gibson explains, “Meadow butter is our flagship product, made with milk from our own grass-fed cows, who live less than a mile away. The milk is fattier and tastes richer, with a beautiful deep golden hue. We roll the cream in a barrel-style churn so it tumbles and folds over itself, rather than being whipped and pumped with air. The result is a dense, creamy, smooth texture.”
The butters, with 85% butterfat, come unsalted or salted. Crunchy salt crystals, harvested at Watkins Glen, New York, expand the flavor and texture. Crème fraîche, made in Norwich using heavy whipping cream fermented with live cultures, has a slightly tart flavor and a rich mouthfeel. The texture falls between sour cream and a cream cheese.
Kriemhild Kupboard, the cozy farm store shed, is stocked with a range of curated products from New York farms and food artisans. If you’re lucky, Kriemhild owner Bruce Rivington might show you his vast collection of antique churns stored in the long room attached to the creamery.
THE ORIGINAL HERKIMER CHEESE COMPANY
Ilion
Remember the nut-studded cheese ball? That 1970s classic was created by the Original Herkimer Cheese Company 50 years ago. The Original Herkimer cheese ball is available today in nine flavors including port wine, garlic and herb, bruschetta, and bleu cheese.
The company, founded in 1949, has always been innovative and continues to develop award-winning unique products, from cheese balls to Chutter (a mild spreadable cheddar cheese), chocolate cheese fudge to pretzel dip, a proprietary blend of cheddar and mustard. All products start with premium New York State cheddar.
Don’t get fooled by the name—the Original Herkimer Cheese Company is actually located in nearby Ilion, where you can visit their retail shop. Jacob and Alana Basloe are the third generation to operate the family business.
COOPERSTOWN CHEESE COMPANY
Milford
Several mornings a week at 5 a.m., Bob Sweitzer fires up his 1995 Dodge Ram, with an 800-gallon bulk tank welded to the truck bed, and heads out to collect the day’s milk from three local farms. By 8 a.m., that fresh milk will be warming in the creamery vat, ready to be transformed into the day’s cheeses. Holstein milk for the harder cheeses, Jersey for the soft creamy ones.
Bob and his business partner, Sharon Tomaselli, left their previous careers as executives in New Jersey paper mills. Motivated by Sharon’s insatiable love of cheese, they created the Cooperstown Cheese Company in 2007.
Both are self-taught cheese makers. Sharon describes making cheese as “very Zen,” while the chance to create and experiment meshes well with Bob’s engineering mind. They rotate through about 20 different varieties, including the standards (Alpine, Gouda, washed rind, blue, cheddar) and some seasonal flavors. Jersey Girl and Toma Celena, which won American Cheese Society awards, were served at President Obama’s 2013 Inaugural Luncheon.
The retail store, with its bright-red metal roof, carries New York—made specialty foods and wares. Visitors can also snack on Cheese Squared, a golden crusted grilled cheese sandwich made in a waffle iron. **Note the physical address is 3941 NY Route 28, not Oxbow Road.
CALLEE 1945
Oneida
Oneida’s first cheese shop and gourmet food retailer brings specialty food home, stocking hard-to-find and rare cheese from around the world as well as the Empire State. In addition, the store carries cheese accompaniments, including small-batch artisan salamis and cured meats, unique jams and spread, nuts, crackers and shortbreads, and a large specialty single-origin chocolate section. You’ll also find cheese-related cooking ingredients such as pasta, oils and baking mixes.
Callee1945, on Main Street in downtown Oneida, is owned and operated by Abbey Woodcock and KC Baney. The shop is named in honor of Abbey’s grandfather, Calvin Janes, who started Callee Dairy Farm in 1945.
THE COMPOUND
Clinton and Utica
The Compound, a locally world-famous small sandwich shop with locations in Utica and Clinton, features everyone’s favorite ingredient: house-made butter! Sink your teeth into one of 12 styles of crunchy, oozy grilled cheese sandwiches, or order a loaded baked potato infused with a rich flavored butter. The Utica shop offers eight cheese-topped burger options. The decadent compound butters, including maple sea salt, black truffle, garlic and herb, and sriracha, are available in half-pint tubs.
ARTISANAL CHEESE
Utica
Pull off the arterial onto Oswego Street in downtown Utica and stop by the massive home of the century-old Hemstrought’s Bakery and Artisanal Premium Cheese. Once inside the cheery bright retail shop, you can pick up not only the iconic half-moon cookies but also a surprising array of highest quality domestic and European aged cheeses.
Founded by chef Terrance Brennan in 1993, the Artisanal Premium Cheese brand began in a small closet converted to a cheese-aging cave in the wine room of New York City restaurant Picholine. Now owned by Utica native Daniel Dowe, Artisanal maintains its world-renowned reputation for sourcing the finest artisan handcrafted cheeses, aging them to perfect quality, and offering perfect pairings with wine and beers to create incredible culinary experiences, at the root of the Artisanal brand. If you can’t make it to Utica, you can order your cheese online.
