The late winter/early spring is a transition time of year for farm labor. This is the time when many small farms are bringing on new apprentices and gearing up for the season ahead. Since we are a dairy farm and we milk cows and make cheese year-round, apprentices at Cricket Creek stay for a year. This year we are trying to have a per iod of overlap between the outgoing and the new apprentices, so our wonderful crew can help to teach the incoming folks everything they have learned here.
Next week Casey Coman and Cudi will be moving on to new adventures at Insight Meditation in Barre, MA. Casey will be working in the kitchen there, putting her cooking skills into practice. Casey and Cudi will both me sorely missed. Casey brings a light-hearted positivity to her work. In her time here she has helped us develop our farmstead butter and Gouda-style cheeses. Her creativity, imagination, and lovely handwriting has contributed to many of the chalk boards at markets this summer, and much of the signage around the farm. Cudi is the incredibly sweet farm dog who you probably have seen running around the parking lot, very curious but slightly fearful. He has an adorable timidity, especially when it comes to his relationship with Creamy Cat. The Casey/Cudi family will hopefully be back for visits! Thanks to both of them for the energy and light they have brought to their time here. We will miss you both.
For the past week, Casey has been tirelessly training her replacement, Justin Olen. Justin will be taking on many of Casey’s responsibilities in the creamery. Over the past 4 years, Justin has spent countless hours living in a tent, doing trail work and trail maintenance for state and national parks across the US. He enjoys eating good food and sharing it with good friends, but admits he wishes the dishes would clean themselves. When the week comes to a close, he laces up his trusty red dancin’ shoes, ready to contra dance. He might even dance for you while making cheese, so stop by!
Justin is the first of the 2013-2014 apprentice crew to arrive, and we are so excited for him to join us. He spent some time making cheese in France and is eager to learn as much as he can about cheese making with us. Welcome Justin!
