[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 146 (Wednesday, December 3, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S6297]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 CONGRATULATING CELLARS AT JASPER HILL

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, Vermont is a farming State: dairy, 
livestock, vegetables or fruit, farms across Vermont are known for 
their innovative and sustainable approaches to farming and food 
production.
  The dairy industry in particular is known throughout Vermont, and far 
beyond. Dairy cows are a familiar sight for those who live in or visit 
our State, and Vermont farms have been recognized both domestically and 
internationally for their dairy-based products. The cheese-making 
tradition in Vermont dates back to the early 1900s, when Vermont dairy 
farmers sought uses for their surplus milk. Since those early days, 
many farms have developed methods for artisanal cheese production.
  Recently, Jasper Hill--a celebrated farm in Greensboro Bend, VT--won 
international recognition at the World Cheese Awards in London, when 
its Bayley Hazen Blue cheese won the award for the ``World's Best 
Unpasturized Cheese.'' Besting more than 2,600 submissions, Jasper 
Hill's award-winning blue cheese also took home a Super Gold award. Six 
other cheeses produced by Jasper Hill also won awards. And two other 
Vermont cheese makers--Grafton Village Cheese and the Vermont 
Creamery--were also recognized.
  Some might skip over a story about the World Cheese Awards. But in 
Vermont, we take pride in the products we produce from the livestock 
nurtured and raised on Vermont's rich land. Farming remains a fabric of 
our American story, and in Vermont, it is a tradition that has spanned 
generations.
  Congratulations to the Cellars at Jasper Hill, to Grafton Village 
Cheese, and to the Vermont Creamery for their recent recognitions. They 
represent the quality and high standards that are a hallmark of the 
Vermont brand.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of a story recently featured 
about these dairies on Vermont Public Radio be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From Vermont Public Radio, Nov. 17, 2014]

   Cellars at Jasper Hill Wins ``World's Best Unpasteurized Cheese''

                          (By Angela Evancie)

       Before a recent batch of the Cellars at Jasper Hill's 
     Bayley Hazen Blue cheese was finished aging, before it was 
     ready to sell, and before it would be crowned--or rinded?--
     ``World's Best Unpasteurized Cheese'' at the World Cheese 
     Awards in London, its makers knew they had something special.
       ``I'm not lying when I say we were excited about it at a 
     young age,'' Vince Razionale, sales and inventory manager for 
     Jasper Hill, said by phone Monday. ``We tasted it on day 50, 
     and this particular batch was one that we thought was really 
     on point.'' (So on point, they thought, that it merited an 
     Instagram post.)
       The more than 250 international cheese experts who judged 
     the 26th annual World Cheese Awards this weekend agreed. 
     Bayley Hazen Blue was selected from more than 2,600 cheeses, 
     first winning a Super Gold award and then its ``World's 
     Best'' award.
       It isn't the only superlative Vermont can add to its list 
     of aged-milk achievements; Grafton Village Cheese also earned 
     two Super Golds, for its Shepsog and Bismark cheeses, while 
     Vermont Creamery took home one gold for its Bijou goat's milk 
     cheese, and seven bronzes. Six other cheeses by Jasper Hill 
     also won awards, including gold medals for its Cabot 
     Clothbound and Moses Sleeper. ``Ten years ago, American 
     cheese was something to be laughed at in England. Now, 
     collectively, we're a force to be reckoned with.''--Vince 
     Razionale, Jasper Hill Farm
       Vermont cheese has certainly made a notable debut on the 
     domestic stage. Vermont's Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross 
     recently noted that cheeses made here have been named ``Best 
     In Show'' at the American Cheese Society Conference for the 
     past two years: Jasper Hill's Winnimere in 2013, and the 
     Farms for City Kids Foundation's Tarentaise Reserve this 
     year.
       But Razionale says the international acclaim shows how far 
     cheese making, in the U.S. in general and Vermont in 
     particular, has come.
       ``Ten years ago, American cheese was something to be 
     laughed at in England. Now, collectively, we're a force to be 
     reckoned with.''

                          ____________________