Cheese
About Cheese
Artisan cheese (cheese that is produced on a small scale by skilled craftspeople) is much more diverse as artisans focus on specific variables to get unique cheeses. Many artisan recipes can be generations old. Although cow's milk makes up the greatest percentage of milk used for cheese, milk from other mammals can be used such as goats, sheep, buffalo, and yaks.
Trip to the Farm
Cheese starts at a dairy farm! Meet the Ziehm family as you tour Tiashoke Farm in Schaghticoke, NY to learn about the life of a dairy cow, meet the calves on the farm, and see how milk is produced. The milk produced on Tiashoke Farm is processed into some of the world's best cheddar cheese.
Fun Facts
- New York State is a major manufacturer of cheese in the United States. According to the USDA, New York ranks number one in cottage cheese production, number three in Italian cheese, and number four in overall cheese production in the country.
- People who sell cheese are called "cheese mongers".
Dig Deeper
Use the following links to learn more about cheese, the cheese industry, and cheese research.
Lessons and Resources
Want to use standards-based cheese focused lessons in your classroom, find more resources to take learning with cheese further, or locate texts that support core content teaching featuring cheese, these can all be found at our AITC Lesson Matrix.
Additional Virtual Field Trips
Food and fiber networks are more complex than a single farm, check out these additional cheese focused virtual experiences to take your agriculturally based knowledge to another level.