Small Farm Business Spotlight Bridport Creamery
By Cookie Steponaitis
photo by provided At work twelve hours a day Nicky and assistant Scott Norris take the milk directly from the farm and create the wonderful cheeses that are earning Bridport Creamery a growing reputation for quality, taste, product selection and service. |
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photo by provided Rooted in generations of Vermonters on the land, Nicky Foster's Bridport Creamery is yet another small and successful agricultural business finding its niche in the growing Vermont agricultural business landscape.
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photo by provided Nicky Foster loves to provide tours of the farm and creamery to locals and tourists. She finds the educational aspect of her new business a lot of fun. |
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Nicky Ouellette Foster was born and raised in an Addison County Farm family. Her grandfather started the family farm Iroquois Acres in Bridport and she married into a family with generations in farming as well. Her siblings and children know their way around the stages and jobs of a dairy farm and love the lifestyle and whether on the Ouellette side or the Foster side of the equation farming is a part of the heritage and a way of life. Nicky was raised managing cows and being a part of the family business and it was a hip replacement and a son born and diagnosed with Diabetes that forced Nicky to be sidelined for a time and reconsider her opportunities and role in the family farms. While Vermont has been home to cheesemakers since the early 1800’s the idea of manufacturing cheese was a new venture for Nicky. After doing a great deal of research and taking cheese making classes at the University of Vermont, Nicky approached her family with a business proposal for the Bridport Creamery, LLC and three years ago went out on her own. It might surprise many readers to know that Vermont has over fifty cheese makers and continues to lead by producing world-class cheeses that represent the full range of types of milk, textures and flavors. There are over 150 varieties of cheese that come from the Green Mountain State and not only did Nicky visit and research many of the different cheesemakers, she found the agricultural cheese community welcoming and willing to share knowledge, ideas and techniques. Nicky Foster uses 2% of the total sweet and wonderful milk produced on the family farm and has found a niche in the untapped market of cheese curds and a product called Swisserella, which includes flavors such as Caraway, Cumin, Dill, Chive, Garlic, Fenugreek, Red Pepper and more. Last year’s total came in at producing 15,000 pounds of cheese and Foster has set her goal to reach 20,000-25,000 pounds within the next three years. “Addison County is a wonderful place to be in business,” shared Nicky Foster. “My cheese products are out at Skinny Pancake, the Wheel Inn, Middlebury Co-op, Middlebury Foods and many other local businesses. While it may be a long day, I absolutely love to take an idea from a plan on paper into a functioning and growing agricultural business. I love talking with the people who stop by and to be able to share with them our product and our process and to answer questions about different types of farming.” Scott Norris joined her as an apprentice and started with Bridport Creamery in September 2015 and cannot imagine working anywhere else. “Besides loving farming and cheese,” shared Norris, “I absolutely love the small town connections and delivering the product to people around the county and state. They call me the ‘Cheese Man’ and I look forward to meeting new people and having conversations with others. Besides, I am learning a trade and a valuable one at that.” Nicky Foster smiled and said, “We simply love cows,” and can see nothing but good on the horizon. Since the addition of the Champlain valley Tomme or aged cheese, Foster is ready to begin branching out and plans someday to have a nationally recognized fancy cheese coming from Bridport Creamery. Until then it is business as usual, straight from the Holstein and Brown Swiss cows on the farm to fresh and wonderful cheese products sent straight to the local market for sale and consumption. While the schedule can be a bit hectic with summer vacation and Nicky’s kids showing cattle, completing 4-H projects and all the cheese there is to make, Foster would not have it any other way. “It is my generation of farmers that is diversifying and finding new markets,” grinned Foster, “and all the while still milking every day and living the farm life that was passed on to us from generations before.” As summer comes to the Champlain Valley and June is Dairy Month it is time to stop and celebrate the small and steadily growing businesses that are putting Vermont’s products not only up for local consumption but earning acclaim and markets around New England. Curious or want some great cheese? Stop on by Bridport Creamery at 3284 Lake Street in Bridport, open Monday and Wednesday 9am -5pm; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am-1pm to see Nicky Foster or Scott Norris or give them a call at (802) 758-6800 or by email at [email protected] .You will be glad you did.
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