BY Jason Emerson

editor

Meadowood Farms can add another first place to its list of awards after its Ledyard cheese finished at the top of the American Originals – Original Sheep category at the 2016 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition held recently in Des Moine, Iowa.

Ledyard is a soft-ripened sheep’s milk cheese styled after Italian Robiola. It is wrapped in grape leaves that are soaked in Empire Brewing Company’s Deep Purple – a wheat beer made with Madison County Concord Grapes.

The cheese is made on the farm in Cazenovia by Head Cheesemaker Veronica Pedraza and team.

The 2016 ACS competition had 1,854 cheeses entered by nearly 300 companies from across North America, with 104 taking first place honors. Judges from both the business and academic worlds grade the cheeses in each category based on their technical and aesthetic qualities.

Meadowood Farms has won numerous competition awards in recent years, including two at the 2014 ACS competition — Ledyard placed third and Srawbridge placed second — a second place medal in 2013 and a third place medal in 2011.

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.

For a full list of ACS competition results, visit culturecheesemag.com/blog/2016-acs-competition-full-breakdown.