FT Green Building/Open House Draws 200 Plus : Newsletter: Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co.

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Fall 2007 Volume 3

FT Green Building/Open House Draws 200 Plus

The FT green building/open house turned out to be the highlight of our fall calendar. And in this newsletter edition, we would like to thank and salut the over 200 green building fans, designers, engineers, elected officials, chefs, policy makers, neighbors, educators, media, curious caseophiles and general supporters who turned out to learn about constructing green buildings and FT's next steps on Saturday, September 29th. The event featured continuous educational tours of the facility by our green building experts, Francis Lapointe (Lapointe Architects) and Peter Knudsen (Knudsen Construction). Representatives from Renewable Energy/Plum Hollow, our green energy supplier and installer were also present and pleased to answer any questions regarding the solar panels and windmill system we chose for our facility.

We had great weather. Light refreshments including wine and cider were generously donated by The Waupoos Estates Winery and The County Cider Company, fresh county apples, coffee, and yummy sweets prepared by Karin Potter of Pinch Gourmet/Harvest Restaurant.

For those who preferred a sit down version of the tour, a formal presentation/seminar was held in the comfort of the tent. Attendees included the Honorable Leona Dombrowsky, our current provincial Minister of Agriculture, Lyle Van Clief, our former federal Minister of Agriculture, and Mayor Leo. P. Finnigan, who also presented Fifth Town with a congratulatory plaque. Sonya and Dino Iannuzzi of Capricorn View brought Maisy, the goat, who was very popular with the kids. Cole Snell of Provincial Fine Foods and his wife Alana along with several others drove down from Toronto for the day.

Event participants also had the opportunity to learn more about the Ontario Cheese Society (www.ontariocheese.org) and Slow Food The County (www.slowfoodthecounty.ca).

Overall, we were thrilled with the overall interest in the project and feedback as well. One attendee wrote "I want to say as someone who is trying to become more involved in Prince Edward County, and as a residential designer, I found the tour wonderful and educational. I am constantly aware of changes taking place in the design and building industry and I am always impressed when an individual(s) show the interest not only in their community but in their environment. I toast all of you for working this through. It’s exciting."

One again, thank you to all of you who could attend. We appreciate your interest and support!

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

This past week the crew has been working on the plumbing and excavating the cave area while waiting for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) wood to arrive to begin the roof and framing work for the second floor. Each stick of FSC wood is stamped with a traceable serial number that allows you to confirm that the wood came from a sustainably managed forest. Unfortunately, this has set us back by about 3 weeks. We now expect to be making cheese beginning January 2008. Check our website for up to date photos!

CHEESE MAKERS HIRED FOR FIFTH TOWN!

We are very pleased to announce that Stephanie Diamant will be joining the Fifth Town team as our master cheese maker. Stephanie is a B.Sc graduate of the University of Guelph. She worked for 13 years as a medical researcher and medical graphic artist in Calgary. However, the family farm beckoned and in 1998, Stephanie and her husband Phil Collman started Milky Way Farm in Creemore, Ontario. After training in Scotland and the UK, they began making beautiful sheep milk cheeses under their own label. Many of you may be familiar with it as they are regular participants at the local farmer's market. Stephanie has also worked as a cheese maker for Ewenity Dairy Cooperative for past several years and plays an active role in the Ontario Dairy Sheep Association and the Ontario Cheese Society.

We are also pleased to announce that Todd Burley will also be joining the FT team as a Cheese Maker apprentice. Todd is a 6th generation dairy farmer with a great deal of experience in the dairy industry and indirectly, the cheese industry as his father serves on the Board of the Black River Cheese Company (which is one of the last remaining farmer owned cheese factories in Ontario). Eager to learn, Todd has already completed his first course on cheese chemistry and cultures at the Artisan Cheese Institute at the University of Vermont. We are very pleased that both Todd and Stephanie are now part of the team!

Look out! Great cheeses ahead!

OTHER NEWS

OCT 6th: Fifth Town was pleased to participate in this year's TASTE! A Celebration of Regional Cuisine in The County. This year, we sponsored and organized the seminar entitled "Terroir: Tasting Places" which featured a panel of cheese makers including Stephanie Diamant, Brad Reid (Black River) and Wayne Philbrick (Upper Canada Cheese Co.)

OCT 28th: The Waring House and FT are offering another beginner's cheese making course. Check the Waring House website for details. www.waringhouse.com

ECO-TIDBIT!: In the course of eating, sleeping and producing milk, did you know that a cow produces about 6.9 times as much greenhouse gas as a sheep and 11 times as much as a goat? Goats also much more efficient animals in terms of amount of feed it takes to produce a litre of milk. With these facts in mind, one can conclude that drinking goat milk/eating goat & sheep milk cheese can help save the planet too! Goat milk is now widely available in all major supermarkets! Try some! You will be surprised at the quality and clean flavour!

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