Meadowood Farms has two new additions to its awards collection, after its “Ledyard” and “Strawbridge” sheep’s milk cheeses last week received honors at the 2014 America Cheese Society annual competition in Sacramento, Calif.
“Ledyard” won third place in the Farmstead Cheese category for cheeses aged less than 60 days, made from milk from herds on the farm where the cheeses are produced; “Strawbridge” won second place in the open category for Soft Ripened Cheeses made from sheep’s or mixed milks.
“I feel pretty great. It’s always nice to be recognized by people in your own industry for doing well,” said Meadowood’s Cheesemaker Veronica Pedraza. “It’s difficult to win here.”
The 2014 ACS competition had 248 companies from across North America submit 1,685 products for judging, according to the competition website. Judges from both the business and academic worlds grade the cheeses in each category based on their technical and aesthetic qualities.
This is the second year in a row that Meadowood has taken a medal at the ACS competition. Last year, the farm’s “Lorenzo” cheese won a second-place award, and in 2011 its feta cheese won a third- place medal.
Meadowood Farms is a 225-acre sheep and cattle farm on Ridge Road in Cazenovia that produces farmstead cheese from its flock of East Friesian dairy sheep, pasture raised Texel cross lamb and East Friesian breeding stock.
Meadowood Farms’ cheeses are available every Saturday at the Cazenovia Farmers Market, as well as in cheese shops across the east coast.
For more information visit their website at meadowoodfarms.com and on Facebook.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
