Press Release

Easton, MD – On the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, close to several major cities yet a world apart, Talbot County, Maryland is many things: historic, friendly, charming, sophisticated, oh-so-beautiful, and … delicious?

Yes – delicious! Talbot County has long been known for its splendid recreational opportunities, rich history, and lovely small towns, but recently it has upped the ante: for those in the know, the county is now a destination for serious “foodies.” In fact, no fewer than twelve Talbot County dining spots are listed in the 2011 edition of the famed Zagat guide to Washington, DC and Baltimore restaurants, dominating the Eastern Shore category, and the marketing options for those who enjoy their own cooking are abundant as well.

Fine food begins, of course, with fine ingredients, and Maryland is a cornucopia of the freshest, harvested from field, farm, and bay. Talbot County is no exception: the majority of the county’s 171,000 acres is dedicated to agriculture, and it has 602 miles of shoreline. Indeed, as explained by Deborah Dodson, Director of the Talbot County Office of Tourism, “the county has a long tradition of ‘farm-to-table’ practices, dating back long before today’s movement. Residents have relied primarily on local food sources for more than a century, and they’ve shared the bounty as well – for example, a local mill ground wheat for Washington’s troops, and the busy historic commercial ports exported locally grown food as well.”

So what is “farm-to-table” food, in today’s parlance? The precise characteristics of the farm-to-table philosophy vary somewhat depending on the farmer, the product, and the market, but the common element generally is a commitment to locally produced, locally consumed food. It may also be associated with organic farming, sustainable agriculture, and community-supported agriculture.

Another common element, at least in and around Talbot County: the backstory on these farm-to-table farmers is usually as fabulous as the food they produce – and Chapel’s Country Creamery is no exception. On the way to what is today a successful artisan dairy products operation, there were collapsing chicken coops, out-of-state college classes, livestock under the Christmas tree, and time spent with Henry the Amish Cheese maker …

But first, the facts: Chapel’s Country Creamery, located on 116 acres near Easton, Maryland, is operated by locavore and housewife-cum-entrepreneur Holly Foster. With husband Eric and four children lending a helping hand, she produces artisan cheese and “cream top” all-natural yogurts flavored with local maple syrup, local honey, and vanilla bean. All products are made with milk produced by the farm’s Jersey cows, which in turn graze exclusively on clover and rye grasses. Formally launched in 1995, the business now sells its products to a growing number of premier outlets on the Eastern Seaboard, many of them in Talbot County shops and eateries.

As for the backstory: Holly and Eric had been married and enjoying a conventional suburban lifestyle for almost a decade when Eric succumbed to the irresistible itch to become a dairy farmer. (In fairness, he grew up with dairy cows, as his father is a Holstein-loving dairy-farmer-turned-thoroughbred-horse-rancher.) A reluctant farmer’s wife at best, Holly soon found herself caring not only for her own growing brood but for eight newborn dairy calves and a coop-ful of chickens. Thus was born her commitment to raising happy and truly health livestock – a commitment this pint-sized dynamo has fulfilled at Chapel’s Country Creamery, but not without overcoming a few challenges along the way.

One day early on, when the dairy farm was still finding its feet and Eric was casting about for value-added product ideas, he recalled that Holly had always loved cheese. A light bulb went on (the eco-friendly sort, of course): artisan cheese. Being a stay-at-home mom with boundless energy, she was all for it … until Eric told her that he was sending her off to Cal Poly Tech University for a short course on the marketing, science, manufacturing technology, and application of dairy ingredients. Not only had Holly never been to California … not only were the kids aged nine months, seven, and eleven … but perhaps most challenging of all, she had to learn chemistry to complete the intensive week-long course.

Still, her love of cheese was transformed into a passion for learning to make it, and soon Holly was taking mini-courses whenever possible in lieu of receiving traditional holiday gifts. The list of subjects to learn was long – types of milk, variations of cows, different types of pasture; different farming methods – but after much debate she and Eric settled on the core principles by which they would operate the dairying business: open range grazing on clover and rye; no synthetic hormones, antibiotics or chemical compounds; twice-daily milking; and small-batch production.

The actual cheese making enterprise remained a cherished dream … until one Christmas morning, when Holly woke up to find Rainey under the tree. Rainey-the-Jersey-cow is not only the mascot for Chapel’s Country Creamery (she’s featured on the product labels); she’s also a beloved member of the Foster family, one who led Holly from the realm of books and classes into the hands-on world of dairying and, soon enough, making cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. When three more (never-before-milked) cows joined the herd, Holly settled into the hilarious business of mastering the milking process, and eventually there was enough production to market the milk produced by Rainey and her fellow Chapel Road bovines …

But no way to make cheese! Unfortunately, the State of Maryland prohibits the in-state manufacture of raw milk cheese – and raw milk cheese is one of the most profitable for a cheese maker, due to its artisan character and superior flavor. Perversely, if made out of state, such products can be sold in Maryland. Committed to “doing things right” by controlling her cheese from farm to table, Holly once again found a way to make it happen, through sheer determination, hard work, and not a little charm.

Holly met Henry, an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania, where state regulations permit the production of raw milk cheese. Henry not only was a cheese maker, but he had his own cheese cave. After hiring a private hauler, Holly spent four years making cheese with Henry once a week, learning the business side of the operation under his guidance while her children played with his. (They communicated perfectly even though hers didn’t speak German and his didn’t speak English!)

Holly formally launched Chapel’s Country Creamery in 1995 and sold her first block of cheese several years ago at one of Talbot County’s most beloved annual events: the Waterfowl Festival, held each November in and around Easton. And it wasn’t just one block of cheese she sold that day – she sold out. Now pasteurization equipment is finally up and running at the farm, and Holly and her helpers have got the cheese making process well in hand. Meanwhile, she and Eric had been working hard to persuade the state legislature to authorize the in-state manufacture of raw milk cheese, with some success: she made her first batch under the auspices of a test project in 2009 and remains hopeful that the process will be fully legalized soon.

Today visitors will find Holly hard at work (as ever), proudly producing not only her to-die-for yogurt, but also several kinds of delectable cheese: three types of cheddar (because it’s very popular and easier to make); Chapelle cave-aged cheese (a higher-end, open-class cheese similar to a French tome); and Maryland’s first raw milk cheese, Bay Bleu (although difficult to make properly, it is trendy). At last word Holly was in the process of creating one more Chapel’s Country Creamery cheese offering … but fans will have to visit Talbot County in person to get the inside “scoop.”

Chapel’s Country Creamery cheese may be purchased at a number of farmers’ markets and specialty stores, as well as sampled at several fine dining establishments, throughout Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. See www.chapelscreamery.com for more information – or stop by the farm!

Talbot County farm to table food: the best of the Chesapeake, all year ‘round

About Talbot County, Maryland: 

Talbot County, Maryland invites visitors to experience the perfect balance of rural simplicity and urban refinement. With the timeless beauty of the Chesapeake Bay as their backdrop, the county’s sophisticated small towns, charming country byways, and wide array of activities offer something for everyone who appreciates the opportunity to relax, reflect, and renew. The Talbot County Office of Tourism offers comprehensive information and trip planning services at its Easton, Maryland office (1- 410-770-8000) and on its website (www.tourtalbot.org).

PRESS INFORMATION

Carlyle Fairfax Smith

Carlyle International

Carlyle@CarlyleInternational.us