Water Buffalo In Vermont?

I came; I saw; I tasted water buffalo mozzarella cheese in Vermont. And it was delicious. Being a program escort for our culinary excursions means that I am given the chance to sample a variety of cuisines, and Vermont offers numerous appetizing and unique dishes.

While it may shock you to see water buffalos, animals native to Asia, roaming the hills of Vermont, these creatures produce a thick, creamy milk high in calcium which the Vermont Water Buffalo Company, a water buffalo dairy farm based in Woodstock, VT, uses to create an assortment of cheese and yogurt products. Promoting sustainable agriculture and family-friendly farming, the Woodstock Water Buffalo Company conscientiously creates high-quality dairy products that are free from preservatives and artificial thickeners.

Driving through the charming, rustic New England village of Woodstock, you would not likely expect to see signs pointing you towards the only water buffalo milk creamery in the United States, but if you diligently followed their directions off of the beaten path, you would discover a farm complete with barn, 5 x 5 tandem milking parlor, and creamery.

The farm is a testament to Woodstock legends Laurence Rockefeller and Frederick Billings, native Vermonters who advocated for dairy farming as a means of sustainable land usage; these men believed in conservation and funded and supported, as an example of their dedication to rural living, a model dairy farm operation on Billings Farm in Woodstock, Vermont. Years later, the Vermont Water Buffalo Co. follows in their footsteps, holding similar interests in environmental and dairy-farming issues and hoping to inspire others to do the same.

At the Woodstock Farm, you might see some water buffalo serenely grazing in the fields while others rest in the comfort of their climate-controlled barn. The barn offers a “free stall atmosphere” which means that the buffalo do not have assigned stalls and are free to wander and to mingle as they please. In the winter, the barn offers a heated escape from harsh VT snowstorms, and in the summer, misters in the barn’s ceiling release puffs of cooling water to refresh and revive the gentle giants from their time spent in the sun. In addition, each stall contains a climate-controlled “water bed” – also heated in the winter and cooled in the summer – which provides the domesticated, water-loving buffalo with a sense of their natural habitat.

The rich products of these contented animals are as equally pleasing as Woodstock’s facilities and landscape. The Vermont Water Buffalo Co. offers a delicious Vermont version of Italy’s water buffalo mozzarella as well as ricotta cheese and a variety of yogurt flavors including: honey, maple, cappuccino, black currant, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, vanilla, and chai; each spoonful or bite is a truly unique and tasty experience!

So while it may come as a surprise to discover Asian animals, Italian cuisine, and Vermont environmentalism combined in the quaint town of Woodstock, the result is a treat for the gourmet and “common connoisseur” alike and an experience that will always leave you hungering for more. I know I can’t wait for my next tour to this distinctive, off-road discovery, and I hope to see you there, sampling cheese and yogurt and all Vermont has to offer!

By Laura Pollard
Writer: Creative Culinary Tours

Courtesy of grouptravelblog.com