MOUNT HOLLY, Vt. – In 1824, the Crowley family of Healdville, Vt., started producing hand crafted, raw milk cheese from their kitchen in the family farmhouse.
Refrigeration had not yet been invented, so dairy farmers would form a cooperative partnership with local cheesemakers to sell their excess milk. Soon, almost every village in Vermont was home to at least one cheese manufacturer.
The inaugural cheese factory opened in Rome, N.Y., in 1852. This coincided with the early build-out of the railroads, and kicked off an explosion of cheese factories starting up throughout the northeast region. The proliferation of farm-made cheese manufacturers continued during the late 1800s, until an estimated 5,000 small cheese factories were operating in Vermont.
The Crowley Cheese Factory was built by A. Winfield Crowley in 1882. While continuing to make their cheese by hand in small batches, they were able to increase production, and began shipping their product via the railroads to “the shores of Maine and the streets of Manhattan.”
With the advent of refrigeration in the early 1900s, it was possible to store cow’s milk for several days. Soon, milk was available in cities, creating an immediate and huge demand. Prices skyrocketed, greatly impacting the small, local cheese factories, who shut down one by one until only a handful remained.
Crowley Cheese Factory’s current owner Galen Jones relayed, “Crowley stayed operational during that time, and maintained continuous operation throughout since its inception.”
Galen and his wife Jill purchased the factory 15 years ago, in 2009, when they were starting to make the move from New York state to Vermont. Galen said he was familiar with the investment group that owned the cheese factory at the time, and knew they were looking to sell the business.
Galen and Jill worked in different fields of digital media and television, an industry that was hit hard by the 2008 recession. Galen had helped to launch several cable networks, including Comedy Central, but said during the recession his jobs essentially dried up.
The Joneses owned a home in New York state, where their son was still attending school, so the transition to living full time in Mount Holly was gradual. Galen focused on the operational side of the cheese business, frequently making the nearly three-hour drive between the two locales, while Jill handled the sales and marketing. In the years since, Galen and Jill have swapped roles, each running the factory for periods of time.
So, what is it that makes the Crowley Cheese recipe so special?
To this day, the original family recipe, using the unique process developed in the kitchen at the Crowley homestead, remains unchanged.
“The recipe is an American original cheddar variant,” said Galen. “It is distinguished from regular cheddar by a step only Crowley adds, where the cheese is rinsed to reduce the amount of whey content.” Similar to the process of creating a colby or jack cheese, this produces a moist texture that falls between a traditional cheddar and a colby, is less acidic, and doesn’t require as much aging.
“Although,” Galen continued, “the cheese also ages incredibly well.”
Crowley sells six aged varieties, from the sweet, buttery mild, aged two to five months, to unusually sharp, aged more than three, and as many as seven, years.
“Personally, I can’t eat the seven-year,” admitted Galen. “But I know plenty of people who do and love it!”
Kenny Hart has been the cheesemaker at the Crowley Cheese Factory for 25 years. On Monday, Feb. 19, Hart was waiting on the delivery of new flooring for the repackaging room.
“Every year we try to do something, and this year, after 50 years, we’re finally replacing the floor,” Galen remarked.
The Crowley Cheese Factory hasn’t changed much in 200 years, according to historian and Vermont Journal contributor Ron Patch. “I recommend you pay a visit to the cheese factory. In my 60-plus-years memory, it has changed very little structurally. It looks today much as it did when I was a boy.”
There is a large viewing window that looks into the cheesemaking room, and the staff is always happy to explain how the process works. Visitors might be lucky enough to catch Hart at work hand-blending the cheese curds.
There will be a celebration to commemorate the historic 200th anniversary of Crowley Cheese, hopefully this spring or summer, according to Galen.
Stay tuned.