Finger Lakes Cheese Trail is set to welcome autumn guests

Special to the Odessa File

ROCHESTER, Sept. 26 -- There's more for visitors to do this fall in the Finger Lakes region besides leaf peeping and visiting wineries.

Members of the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail will open their creameries and cheese houses to the public for an up-close look at their craft and a sampling of their cheeses during the trail's Fall Open House on October 8 and 9.

The Finger Lakes Cheese Trail, formed in January 2010, now includes 15 cheese farmstead and artisan cheese makers. Featuring unique and varied styles of cheeses made from their own or locally sourced milk, many follow the traditional methods of skilled cheese makers found in Europe. The following cheese makers will be welcoming guests:

4 Tin Fish Farm: Kim Fortin and Andrew Fish create goat's milk cheese such as chevre and feta from the micro-dairy's herd of Alpine goats. Milk is also available for sale at the farm in Conquest, NY. What began as a hobby soon grew into a passion to provide farmstead cheese to local customers and raise quality Alpine dairy goats. Contact Kim Fortin or Andrew Fish at (315) 664-0124 or at www.4tinfishfarm.com

Cowlick Farm, a Finger Lakes Micro-creamery: A unique shop in the Finger Lakes area featuring exclusively Creamline Jersey cow milk, used in all dairy products, like their Farmstead Cheese, fresh Gelato. Also committed to fresh, local dairy products. Cowlick Farm is located on route 414, one mile south of the village of Lodi and one mile North of Wagner winery. Contact Andrew Cabot at 607-582-6611/www.cowlick_farms@yahoo.com

Engelbert Farms: Lisa and Kevin Engelbert own and operate this 600-acre certified organic farm in Nichols, NY, on the Pennsylvania border, raising beef, veal, and pork. Their milk is used to make 16 varieties of cheddar, Gouda, Swiss, jack and mozzarella cheeses, sold at the farm store/retail outlets in the area. Contact Lisa Engelbert at 607-699-3775 or on the Web at www.engelbertfarms.com

Finger Lakes Dexter Cheese Creamery: Rose Marie Belforti produces raw milk cheeses from Dexter cow milk. First and only producer in the western hemisphere to offer an authentic, probiotic-kefir cheese product: an artisan farmstead raw milk cheese, Kefir Cheese, made with a mother culture of authentic kefir grains and rich milk from grass-fed Irish Dexter house cows, aged for 60 days or more. Cheese is available directly from the farm in King Ferry, on the East side of Cayuga Lake. Contact Rose Marie Belforti at 315-364-3581/www.kefircheese.com

Finger Lakes Farmstead Cheese Co.: Nancy Richards has been crafting cheeses, made from raw cow’s milk from the closed herd of 50 milking Holsteins of Nancy’s family farm, the Taber Hill Farms Inc., on Route 79, between Ithaca and Watkins Glen. The farm has been in the family since 1919. The cheese is currently available at various retail outlets in Ithaca, Syracuse, Rochester and New York City. Cheese can be purchased at the plant by appointment, or by chance. Contact Nancy Richards at 607-387-3108/www.fingerlakes-cheese.com

Hillcrest Dairy: With fresh milk from their grass and non-GMO grains (genetically modified) fed cows, Hillcrest Dairy produces Swiss and old fashioned raw milk Cheddar. Milk; cream, butter and other products are also available. Located in Moravia, NY, 10 miles south of Auburn, and directly east of King Ferry. Note: Not open Sundays. Contact Nevin Martin at 315-497-0659.

Lively Run Goat Dairy: Susanne Messmer established one of the first commercial goat dairy operations in New York State in the early '90’s, and produces a traditional style French Chevre, a Balkan style Feta and "Cayuga Blue," a goat's milk Blue. All are available at the farm store, located near Interlaken (between Cayuga and Seneca lakes), and at many local wineries and retailers throughout the area. Daily tours held Monday-Friday, 1:30 p.m. for a nominal fee. Contact Susanne Messmer at 607-532-4647/www.livelyrun.com

Muranda Cheese Co.: Tom Murray is making hard aged cheeses from the family's grass-fed herd, like Old British Cheddar, Garlic and Dilly Girl and their famous Red Buddy, available at several NY Pride wineries, at the farm Tasting Room on Route 96, 2 miles south of Waterloo, and through their online store at Muranda.com. Contact Tom Murray at 315-539-1103 or at www.muranda.com

Shtayburne Farm: Lorin Hostetler relies on the goodness and quality of the milk produced on the family's 3rd generation farm to craft 15 varieties of his farmstead cheeses, including Cheddar and Monterey Jack styles and fresh-made cheese curds. Lorin uses pasteurized milk in his small-batch make room and hand-waxes in the traditional method producing uniquely finished cheeses. These and other products can be purchased in the old-fashioned country store located on the farm located in Rock Stream, NY. Note: Not Open Sunday. Contact Lorin Hostetler at 315-270-2249 or at www.shtayburnefarm.com

Sidehill Acres Goat Farm: Russell and Rita Kellogg established this goat dairy in 1982 and in 1994 started a goat cheese processing plant, producing premium quality hand crafted goat milk products. Side Hill Acres is on Route 96, in Candor, between Owego and Ithaca. Tours are available year-round. Cheese is available for sale at the farm, or at Green Star Co-Op in Ithaca. Contact Rita Kellogg at 607-659-4121/www.sidehillacres.bizland.com

Snow Farm Creamery: Father and son team Calvin and Aaron Snow restarted the family's creamery in late 2010 on their dairy farm, one that already had a long history in Brooktondale, NY. They use raw milk to create three signature styles of cheese, including Gouda, Feta and Provolone, aged for more than 60 days in their cheese cave. Their cheese is available at Brookton's Market. Contact Aaron Snow at 607-342-2947.

Sunset View Creamery: The Hoffman Dairy is a 5th generation operation. Carmella Hoffman crafts Cheddar, Monterey Jack Style cheeses and fresh cheese curds using either pasteurized or raw milk in production; husband Ron and son Jeremy tend the herd. Carmella's cheese is available at the farm store, 4970 County Rd. 14, Catharine (outside Odessa), at many of the local wineries, Green Star Co-Op (Ithaca), and at Stillman’s Greenhouse & Country Store, Montour Falls. Contact Carmella Hoffman at 607-594-2095/www.sunsetviewcreamery.com

For more information, visit www.thefingerlakescheesetrail.com or visit the trail on Facebook.