Finger Lakes Cheesemakers are jointly hosting an Open House on Saturday, October 10 from 11 AM to 4 PM. This is a chance for the public to sample the variety of artisanal cheeses being made in our region. The flavors range from traditional English cheddar and colby, to Dutch gouda, cheese curds and soft cheeses more typical of French and Greek style.  And all are produced with milk from the farm family livestock including traditional dairy cows, sheep or goats.

The cheese operations are a relatively new edition to the Finger Lakes landscape of farms and offer a new opportunity for visitors to the area and locals to enjoy the unique tastes of hand-crafted cheeses.  The 8 farms open to the public are located from near Aurora, south to Candor, and up through Odessa, to the Hector/Lodi area and near Waterloo. You can start the tour anywhere along the route and visit as many you can get to during the 5 hour open house.

Farms on the cheese trail include:

Lively Run Goat Dairy, Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese Company, Cowlick Farm, Side Hill Acres Dairy Goat Farm & Cheese Plant, Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery, Sunset View Creamery, Muranda Cheese Company, Northland Sheep Dairy (at the Ithaca Farmers Market)

Samples and sales are part of the event, so plan to buy cheese, stop at a winery, grab a loaf of bread, and enjoy a day touring in the Finger Lakes.  A brochure describing the farms and a map with addresses can be obtained by going to www.ccetompkins.org - click on Artisanal Cheese Tour Guide and Map. There is no charge and no advance registration is required for this self-guided tour. 

Great coverage of FLCB members in the Philly Inquirer & Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

http://www.philly.com/philly/travel/20091004_Cheese_peepers.html 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09270/1000578-37.stm