Nov 26, 2012 — It's a strange time for the North Country's dairy farmers.
On one hand, Congress' failure to pass a new farm bill has meant the loss of a safety net if milk prices drop or feed costs rise. On the other hand, the soaring popularity of Greek yogurt is offering what New York's dairy leaders call a "once in a generation" opportunity to shore up an industry that's been eroding for decades.

New York has lost about two-thirds of its dairy farms since the 1980s. The ones that remain have gotten bigger.  Go to full article

Lowville, NY, Sep 13, 2012 — The largest cheesecake in the country will be the centerpiece of the 8th annual Lowville Cream Cheese Festival on Saturday. The event celebrates the region's dairy industry and the village's cream cheese plant. The day's events include music, activities for kids, contests, lots of food and the gigantic cheese cake. Todd Moe spoke with organizer Eric Virkler.  Go to full article

Norwood, NY, Dec 26, 2011 — This week, we're listening again to a series we produced this summer titled, "Farmers Under 40", a look at the new generation of young farmers in the North Country. The series also celebrates locally grown food: vegetables, fruit, meat and dairy. So, what can you do with raw milk, besides drinking it? Think cheese.

Inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Todd Moe found it's pretty easy to make delicious soft cheese, with no special equipment and just a few key ingredients. He starts with a gallon of raw milk. Forty-five minutes later, he's got a softball sized piece of home made mozzarella. It begins on the farm...  Go to full article

Lowville, NY, Sep 15, 2011 — NCPR is media sponsor for Saturday's 7th annual Lowville Cream Cheese Festival in downtown Lowville. The event celebrates Lowville's distinction as home of the world's largest cream cheese manufacturing plant. Todd Moe spoke with Eric Virkler, Director of Economic Development and Planning for Lewis County, who says the event includes music, art, contests and lots of cheese cake.  Go to full article

Lowville, NY, Sep 15, 2010 — Workers at the Kraft plant in Lowville are focussed on one of their biggest assignments this year -- creating a cheesecake large enough to feed hundreds. They call it the world's largest cheesecake and it's one of the highlights of the sixth annual Cream Cheese Festival in Lowville on Saturday. Todd Moe spoke with Eric Virkler, Lewis County economic development director, about the festival. Virkler says there's other food, besides the cheesecake, along with music, art and a recipe contest.  Go to full article

Colton, NY, Aug 10, 2010 — Our book reviewer, Betsy Kepes, can't stand the taste of most goat cheese. But, she thoroughly enjoyed Brad Kessler's new book Goat Song: A Seasonal Life, A Short History of Herding, and the Art of Making Cheese. It's part memoir, part how-to and part history.  Go to full article

Star Lake, NY, Aug 04, 2010 — Cheese will be the topic of a series of lectures around the region this month. The authors of the new book, The Summer of a Thousand Cheeses, will share their love of cheese and what they learned during four years of research. Russ Hall and Peg Rooney met cheesemakers, breathed the aromas in cheese shops and made many different cheeses in their kitchen. Hall and Rooney were early fans of New York cheddars and cheese curds. They spoke with Todd Moe about their book, and what they call the "Adirondack Crescent".  Go to full article

Norwood, NY, Jun 08, 2010 — So, what can you do with raw milk...besides drinking it? Think...cheese. Inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," Todd Moe found it's pretty easy to make delicious soft cheese, with no special equipment and just a few key ingredients. He starts with a gallon of raw milk. Forty-five minutes later, he's got a softball sized piece of home made mozzarella... It begins on the farm...  Go to full article

Mar 13, 2009 — Darrel Aubertine's first big piece of legislation as chairman of the senate agriculture committee is dividing the farming community. The Democrat from Cape Vincent wants to restrict which products are labeled "real dairy". The target of the bill is highly processed dairy powders called "milk protein concentrates", or MPCs, that are imported from other countries. Aubertine wants to protect American dairy farmers at a time when the price of milk has plummeted. But critics say the bill will hurt more than help. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Feb 26, 2009 — Two brothers from Brooklyn have taken the first steps to buying and reopening the kosher cheese plant in Ogdensburg. Last week, the state shut down the plant after finding bacteria in the cheese. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article