Well, that picture got a whole new splash of color after tasting a variety of cheeses lifted off the cedar blanks in Mary Falk's aging caves. You can see pictures of some of these cheeses, of Mary and Peter Falk, their Spanish Ranch Mastiff, Pedro, and their sheep, click on the LoveTree photo gallery.
You can also find out lots more about sheep dairy operations from a number of sources. Here are a few I used:
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When it comes to beer, try to find locally-produced microbrews. (Hey, Mom's worth it!) According to the Brewers Association, there are 1,406 microbreweries across the country (as of 2007), so there might just be a craft operation either close to you, or that sells product to your local purveyor. Here are some ideas from www.allaboutbeer.com:
Do you like your goat-milk Mobay, with that gossamer layer of gray ash floating through the middle? I do. And I really enjoy my raw-milk goat cheddar (especially with pitted prunes), and my local cow-milk cheeses. But if more land gets shifted from hay production to corn-for-ethanol, the price of hay is likely to rise, and with it the cost of my cheeses. While I might grumble about this increased cost, I'll likely pay it. However, my small complaint is not the issue.
The real problem is on the production side. As the costs to raise to raise cows, sheep and goats continues to climb, the livelihoods of small- and medium-scale farmers are jeopardized.
The demand for healthful foods, fresh veggies, whole grains, and seasonal fruit outstrips supply year after year. Yet, the Farm Bill does not exist to move more of our agricultural system in that direction.
A real problem is when those who are struggling to make ends meet - tens of millions in the US alone - find it more and more difficult to buy healthful foods for their families.
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