I have been making dairy foods commercially since 1983, first as part-owner of the Guilford Cheese Company, Guilford, VT, where we made Brie, Camembert, Quark and Creme fraiche; then as a cheese maker at Shelburne Farms Farmhouse Cheddar facility; next as the cheese maker and quality control manager at Vermont Butter and Cheese Company, Websterville, VT, where we made Chevre, Mold-ripened, Cheddar and Fontina-style cheeses from milk collected from 25 goat dairies and Creme Fraiche, Quark and Fromage Blanc; and, most recently, as part-owner of Westminster Dairy, Westminster, VT, where I made certified organic, farmstead cheeses from Jersey cow milk. I have used cow, goat and sheep milk to make a wide range of dairy foods including yogurt, sour cream and Creme fraiche, butter, ice cream, and many varieties of fresh and aged cheeses.

I have also served as a dairy foods specialist for Land O’Lakes International Development Division projects in Macedonia and Albania and the USDA Marketing Assistance Project in Armenia, providing on-site technical assistance and classroom training in dairy food science and technology to small scale dairy foods manufacturers and traditional cheese makers.