>> Funding for
Around the Farm Table
is provided in part by
Wisconsin Farmers Union,
a member driven organization
for family farmers, rural
communities and all people.
Wisconsin Farmers Union, united
to grow family agriculture.
Information at
WisconsinFarmersUnion.com.
[cows mooing]
[thunder booms]
>> Hi there, welcome to
the farm.
It's a great day for
grazing cows.
I'll tell you what.
I'm lovin' all this rain that
we're getting this year.
It's good for the grass, it
keeps the cows clean and it
keeps everything great.
And it's also a perfect
opportunity for me to get away
from the farm and join my dad
over at the creamery to make a
batch of our cheese together.
After we get our cheese made we
have a group of folks coming
over for a pasture walk here at
the farm.
So I thought about maybe putting
together a cheese plate with
some of our cheese and other
Wisconsin cheeses.
Then I think I'll head out to
where the buffalo roam and see
if I can't find somethin' to put
together for a sandwich.
I hope you'll gather with us,
Around the Farm Table.
I'm your host, Inga Witscher.
>> All: Gather with us,
Around the Farm Table.
>> A few years ago,
I moved up to Wisconsin.
I started an organic dairy farm
at St. Isidore's Mead.
That's when I discovered
the abundance of Midwestern
local food
and small-scale farmers
growing everything
from green zebra tomatoes
to pasture pork.
I'm taking a break
from the cows,
hittin' the road
and seein' if I can't satisfy
my epicurious appetite.
[moo]
Grazing works well for us on
this farm because we're limited
in acres, we're not growing any
crops.
Now, cows were designed to turn
this renewable resource, which
is grass that we can't digest as
humans, they can turn that into
meat and milk.
We want to optimize our chances
of getting that turned into to
the milk with as little work as
possible.
This year we were able to get
these wonderful tumble wheels
that my job so much easier.
It takes my labor from about
40 minutes of setting up pasture
down to about five minutes.
For us, making the cheese from
our 12 or 13 cows right now that
we have milking, it's important
for us to keep the wonderful
flavors of our farm in
that cheese.
A way of doing that is by having
the cows eat the grasses that
are right here on the farm.
The farm hasn't been tilled up
or anything.
It all these grasses that have
little inputs in them.
That's what's flavoring the milk
that we make the cheese from.
So it's important for us to
always have those cows as
healthy as possible, being able
to rotate around the farm,
eating a diverse diet.
Then we can make cheese from
that.
[thunder booms]
I think I'm going to get out of
this rain, get cleaned up and
head on over to help my dad make
a batch of our
St. Isidore's cheese.
It takes us about six hours to
make a batch of
St. Isidore's cheese.
It's a lot of hurry up and wait,
but it is a good time.
When the milk reaches the right
temperature my dad adds
a rennet.
That helps the milk coagulate.
Now, when the milk's good and
ready we take out the cheese
knives and we cut that curd.
Then the cheese gets stirred up
with the paddles until it
reaches the right PH.
That's when whey is drained.
Like I always say, a family that
drains whey together, stays
together.
Now we start the cheddaring
process.
This is when the curds knit
together, forming a nice pack.
We stack the loaves to expel
more whey.
We keep stacking until the PH is
correct for the milling process.
Then it's time to mill the
curds.
The next step is stirring up
those curds and adding a little
bit of salt.
This is going to help expel more
moisture and give that cheese
a little bit more flavor.
We dress the molds with
cheese cloth,
then we add the curds.
Finally, the cheese is ready to
be pressed.
We press the cheese for upwards
of 48 hours.
Once the cheese is ready, we
take it back out of the molds,
do a little bit of trimming, and
then wrap the cheese again in
another butter-soaked cheese
cloth.
We add a label to the cheese
with the date the cheese was
made, the pasture that the cows
were pasturing in, and the
cows names.
Then it's off to the
cheese cave.
The final process in our
cheese making is aging the
cheese.
We do that in this beautiful
cheese cave.
We do it in a cheese cave
because it's the perfect
temperature and humidity for
aging our cheese.
Now, after the cheese is set
here we'll come back every day
for a week and turn those
cheeses.
That distributes the moisture
evenly throughout that truffle
of cheese.
They're pretty heavy right now.
Let me give you a hand, Dad.
After a week of aging, then we
come less often to turn the
cheeses, because it's not as
important at that point.
We rub the molds into the
cheese, and that helps develop
that flavor and keeps the cheese
tasting really delicious.
Okay, Dad, now what do we do?
>> Now we just wait.
>> It think we're probably two
percent of the population that
can sit in a cave and enjoy
cheese that we've made from our
own cows' milk.
>> Absolutely.
>> This is pretty special,
don't you think?
Dad, why did you want to start
making cheese?
>> Well, I love micro dairies.
And I think it's one way that
you can milk a small number of
animals and maybe make a profit,
or at least make a living.
>> Great-grandfather was a
cheesemaker.
>> My grandfather and my uncle
bottled milk and buttermilk and
butter.
>> What do you think is in the
cheese that makes it so special
to our region and our farm?
>> Besides the breed, with the
high butterfat, it's the
pasture, it's the naturalized
pasture and the dandelion, the
burdock, the trees.
>> Everything.
>> The brush, the clovers.
>> It really comes through too,
in the cheeses.
>> I think it really does.
There's no silage, corn silage
or hay silage.
And it does--
It's outlawed in some countries
in Europe because of Listeria.
The food makes all to
difference.
How you and Joe handle the cows
makes a difference.
The health of the animals is
something that has really
impressed me.
Your animals--
There's no retained placentas,
the calving ease is just
phenomenal.
Wouldn't it be great if there
was just a billion of these
little farms?
>> I think so too.
Everybody should be trying
cheeses from our different
regions of the state or even the
country.
>> Just like in Europe.
>> There's just little
delicacies, little differences,
for each of those cheeses.
I think, wouldn't that be
amazing if you could go visit
your aunt and uncle somewhere
and pick up a cheese from their
area to have those tastes?
Well, Dad, as much as I would
love to sit here and throw back
a bottle of Irish whiskey with
you, I actually have to get down
to Madison with a wheel of
cheese for Fromagination.
If you wouldn't mind getting
everything cleaned up and then
meeting me at the pasture walk,
that's be great.
And if you all wouldn't mind,
why don't you come down to
Madison with me and check out
Fromagination.
* *
Hello, Ken!
>> Good morning, Inga!
Welcome to Fromagination,
in Madison.
>> Thank you.
Nice to see you.
>> Good to see you.
We're so excited.
>> I'm excited to be able to
have my cheese amongst so many
wonderful cheeses that are here.
>> Please, set it down.
I'm sure that has to be heavy.
>> It was.
I walked down, and after the
first couple of miles you really
start--
>> What does this weigh?
>> 20 pound.
>> Oh, wow.
>> Yeah.
I'm having an event later at my
house and I thought it might be
nice to taste some other cheese
that will compliment the
St. Isidore's.
>> Outstanding.
We have a lot, as you know, of
great Wisconsin cheeses.
We can work together and taste,
and see what the best fit to
your cheddar is.
>> Okay, I'd love that.
>> Great.
>> So when you open up a wheel
like this, what's your first
instinct to do?
>> The smell, that's the first
thing I take in, Inga.
I can tell this is a
farmstead cheese.
A lot of cheese, a lot of
processed commodity cheeses,
you're not going to see that
intense yellow.
I can tell this was grass-fed,
traditionally made cheese, just
by looking at the color.
The exciting thing is, you know,
this is a traditional Inga style
cheddar and it'd been aging over
a year in cloth, like you said,
and you never know what's going
to develop until you cut it in.
>> But that's the fun part about
artisan cheese.
>> That's the beauty of it.
A lot of people don't realize
that it's important to taste
cheese at room temperature.
The flavors come together
nicely.
So let's taste.
Wow, that really comes alive.
We have the perfect spot for
St. Isidore's.
I thought this would be the
perfect first cheese to taste.
The Martone is a mixed
milk cheese.
It's made from cow and
goats' milk.
>> I love the size of it.
It's just so appealing visually
on a plate.
>> Yeah, and that's the other
thing you should consider when
entertaining is, you want to
look at shapes and sizes and
colors and textures.
That should be all in the
thought process in addition to
the milk types, the style of
cheeses.
And then it's fun to just come
up with companions.
Again, there's no hard and
fast rules.
It just depends on what
you like.
>> This is really good, it's
really creamy.
>> Very creamy, yeah.
That's been a great addition
to Wisconsin.
We have several cheesemakers
that are fourth and fifth
generation that are working with
these newer cheesemakers.
It's a great collaboration.
To have a shop like
Fromagination, we're very
fortunate these cheesemakers
come in, like you did, deliver
the cheese.
We go out to visit their farms.
We want to be able to tell that
story and connect our customer
to all the hard work and labor
that went into making these
cheeses.
What do you think of
the Evalon?
>> I love it.
>> Now, what we want to do is, I
think your cheese would fit
right in the center.
>> Okay.
>> So where you have a
five-selection cheese assortment
with the St. Isidore right
in the center.
This is the Red Rock from
Chris Roelli.
Chris is in Shullsburg,
Wisconsin.
It's right outside of
Mineral Point.
He's a fourth generation
cheesemaker.
>> What's this last cheese?
>> We end with the sheep's
milk cheese.
If we started with this first
you would definitely not be able
to taste the others, especially
a goats' milk cheese.
We started with cow and goat,
then when to strictly a goat,
followed by two cows' milk--
>> So we're building our taste
buds up.
>> Yeah, exactly.
Then we're ending with the
Dante, and this is made by the
Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Co-op.
>> Okay, I guess I always think
of sheep's milk cheese as a
soft cheese.
It's fun to see a hard sheep's
milk cheese.
I know people are doing them,
but for some reason my mind
always takes me to--
>> If you go to Italy, you know,
Pecorino is made from sheep's
milk cheese.
This is what this reminds me of,
is a nice, aged Pecorino.
So what do you think?
Do you think you have a good
selection?
>> Yeah, I think it's much
better than the cheese plate
that I had last night, which was
string cheese from my creamery
and a glass of wine.
>> That's good too.
Cheese curds are great, and
string cheese has it's moment
as well.
>> Can you these wrapped up
for me?
I just love 'em.
>> Oh, sure.
>> Ken, now I have my cheese for
the pasture walk, I'm also
looking for something else, a
little bit more sort of
sandwichy, munchy.
Any suggestions on what I get?
>> Yeah, I believe there's a
great producer of bison in your
neck of the woods and you need
to check them out.
Because I think that would be a
great compliment, especially to,
like, the cheddars and that
sheep's milk cheese.
It'll be a perfect companion to
end the course.
>> Next time I'm in Madison I'm
definitely going to come in and
say hi.
I love stopping in.
>> Great to see you.
>> All right, have a great day.
>> You too.
* *
>> Hello there.
>> Well, hi.
>> This must be Silver
Bison Ranch.
>> This is the Silver Bison
Ranch, yes, welcome.
>> I'm Inga.
>> Hi, Inga, glad you meet you.
>> This is a beautiful
place here.
>> It is, isn't it?
It's a beautiful day and our
grasses are growing.
I'm just going out to check on
the bison now and move them to
some fresh grass.
Would you like to come with?
>> Absolutely!
Now you're taking my language.
>> Okay, great, let's go.
>> How does somebody say to
themselves, I think I want to
raise a couple hundred bison?
Where did that come from?
>> Well, my dad started
actually, as a retirement hobby.
He bought six.
We actually had a few bison, as
you know, along Interstate 94
here in Baldwin.
And people stopped in and they
said, well, we want to buy meat
from you.
Then we thought, well, okay, I
guess people are going to want
to access the meat.
So we started raising more
animals.
>> That's great.
What a great way to come into a
business.
Loren, you're grazing here a
little bit differently than I do
with my cows.
With my cows I graze them in
strips, but you're grazing in
paddocks.
How does that work for you?
>> Yes, well, if we could graze
in strips like you, we would.
Our bison are kind of
uncontrollable, to a certain
extent.
We can control them a bit if we
give them enough area.
So we have 42 paddocks here and
each paddock is about four to
five acres.
>> Okay.
>> So in each paddock we'll get
graze for a day.
They've been in here for almost
a day now.
We're getting ready to move them
shortly, so they're going to go
to their next green buffet for
the day.
That allows the plant--
It catches enough sun and
there's enough root yet left
to regrow.
So in the 42 day period that
they can come back here and
it'll be 12 to 16 inches again.
>> Wow.
That also helps so you don't
have to worry about parasites so
much if you're giving that
pasture a nice rest.
>> Right.
Correct, because most parasites
are from--
They'll travel up the plant
about three to four inches.
>> Okay.
>> They don't go up much beyond
that, except they might follow
the dew up.
Which is why we move them after
the dew leaves everyday.
So as the dew dries off, the
parasites go back down.
But if you can graze above the
eight inch level it really cuts
down on the amount of parasites
that they would ingest.
What they don't eat, the beetles
and the worms and the bugs,
they eat.
We have to feed them too.
Because they're taking the
manure down in the soil and
they're making the worm holes so
when it rains the moisture goes
down in there.
They're really important too.
Without them we can't have the
healthy paddocks that we
do have.
>> They're pretty much
trouble-free, aren't they?
>> Yeah, they are wild animals.
We don't want to domesticate
them.
We don't want to change them.
We just want to let them be
bison.
They're good at being bison.
If we change them in some way,
or if we would try to change
them, we'd probably screw
something up.
We just, you know, have as
little to do with them as
possible.
We just make sure that they have
good grass to eat all the time.
>> That's fantastic.
I have to tell you, just looking
at this farm, looking at your
pasture, at the amount of grass
that you're growing here, it
just make somebody like me who's
been grazing for about seven
years just feel so optimistic of
what my farm can eventually
really become with that animal
input on there.
>> Yeah, and all you need is
the animal.
You don't need any other input.
You don't need any other
fertilizers, you don't--
You just need the animal, you
just need the grazing creature.
With that addition it makes a
very healthy soil and grass.
>> Well, Loren, I would love
to see the bison coming into a
new pasture.
I don't know if it's that time
of the day for you guys or not,
but I would certainly help if it
is that time of day.
Wait, when I say I'm going to
help, it means I'm going to sit
in the trailer.
>> That's the only safe place
to be, because it's quite a
stampede.
They're pretty hungry, and
they're ready for their new
buffet for the day.
* *
My wife Marilyn is in the store
right now and she can help you
make a selection and tell you
how to cook it.
>> All right.
It was nice to meet you.
>> Yeah, nice to meet you, Inga.
>> Have a good day.
>> Okay, bye bye.
* *
>> Sorry, sorry, hi.
>> Hello.
>> Sorry, I didn't mean to
disturb you.
>> That's okay.
>> What are you doing out here?
>> I'm surveying birds.
>> Oh!
What are you doing surveying
birds?
What's that for?
>> This is the third year of our
grassland bird survey work,
specifically on the Silver Bison
Ranch here.
What this offers us is a really
good classic example of looking
at the impacts of bison on the
grasslands habitat and what kind
of birds that they're bringing
back onto the landscape.
>> What kind of birds do you
have out here?
>> The bobolinks are here,
[bobolink song]
the vesper sparrow,
savanna sparrows.
Those are the top three species.
I'm looking for that illusive
upland sandpiper that tends to
really desire habitat that's
lightly grazed like this.
Also the Henlow's sparrow, which
requires a habitat like what you
just walked through, Inga.
>> Interesting, so you're saying
that birds like grazing habitat.
>> Yes, they do.
>> Wow.
>> There are certain species
that really prefer the grazing
habitat.
1850 is when we started to break
up the prairie, it started to
come under the plow, many of the
features where destroyed by
annual row crop agriculture.
So it necessitates us working
with growers and producers like
the Smeeslers to help get more
grass on the landscape so it's
perennial habitat, not an annual
grassland.
A lot of these grassland bird
that you probably missed already
out there are sitting low down
in the grassland layer.
You have to know what they
sound like.
>> Do you do any pishing?
>> I sometimes pish.
[laughter]
I'll pish, and I'll pish those
bird in.
Those are just little, pneumonic
devices that one uses to track
the birds, to bring them in so
that you can identify them.
>> Interesting.
>> What we're trying to do is
not pish them too much, but we
just would like them to alert.
>> You might pish them off
that way.
>> Yes, we would do that too.
>> Sorry, I couldn't help it.
>> That's good.
>> Well, Harvey, this is what I
love about Wisconsin, you never
know who you're going to run
into out in a pasture.
I've got to actually get back to
my pastures.
Have a great day, and I hope you
see a lot of birds.
>> Thank you very much.
[bird whistling]
>> I'm a second generation dairy
grazer, and I've been grazing my
cows here at the Mead for about
seven years.
Through that time I've been
hosting a series of pasture
walks every few years.
That's why I thought having our
cheese that's featuring really,
those grasses that are growing
in our pasture, for people to
taste along with these other
wonderful Wisconsin cheeses.
First of all what we need to do
is get started with cheese.
We want to make sure be bring
that out about an hour, maybe
even longer, before your guest
are going to arrive.
That way the cheeses are going
to come to room temperature.
The sandwiches I'm going to make
is a bison picnic sandwich.
These are wonderful, the bison
is really going to stand out as
the main flavor here.
I think it's going to be
surprising for people to be able
to sink their teeth into a bison
sandwich.
To begin, you want to season
your bison with salt and
pepper, then add a few
tablespoons of fresh chopped
herbs.
Look at the color of the bison.
It's just beautiful.
And see?
It's very lean, but it's full of
lots of flavor.
So we don't need to do too much
to the bison.
For searing that bison I always
use a heavy bottomed pan, like
my trusty red pot that I do
everything in.
It makes it nice, it carries the
heat really well.
And it's easy for me then to pop
it right in the oven.
I always like to add a little
bit of red wine when I'm cooking
red meat just to give it a
little bit of flavor, and let
that evaporate and flavor the
meat while it's cooking.
The bison's going to cook for
about 40 minutes, a little bit
faster than beef would, which is
really nice for an event like
today.
I can get it in the oven and get
it out.
Originally, I was thinking about
doing some sort of herb
mayonnaise, or even a pesto
mayonnaise, but then I thought,
why do that when I'm a dairy
farmer and I should be using
butter, right?
I think butter's great.
Why not do that?
Also, it's going to spread a
little bit nicer.
That layer of spread, like that
butter or I suppose you could
use cream cheese it you wanted
to, that's going to help the
bread not get soggy when you're
pressing it down and when you're
waiting.
Let's get started.
I'm just going to use the herbs
that I have fresh in my garden,
like basil.
Basil is everybody's favorite
herb, isn't it?
When you're picking your herbs
you should know, always just
harvest as much herbs as
you can.
The more you harvest your herbs,
the more they're going to
come back.
It's really good for them.
And garlic scapes, how many
people grow garlic?
This is so good.
Garlic is great to grow, it
grows great here in the Midwest,
and in the springtime or this
time of the early summer you get
these scapes that come off
the garlic.
The garlic scape is going to be
the flower head of the garlic.
You want to cut it off because
if you don't all the energy is
going to go to that flower and
it's going to come out of
the roots.
I'm also going to use a few
chives because I always have
chives growing in the garden.
Chives are one of those things,
they're great because they're
the first thing to come up
every year.
I'm still trying to come up with
the 105 uses for chives.
I always try to give chive
plants away.
I've got a ton on them.
If you need a chive plant, let
me know.
Come on up and get some.
Right into the food processor
these will go.
I'll just puree these up for
just a second.
Wow, that's going to clean out
the old sinuses for everybody.
Now I'm going to put in
my basil.
Then some butter, and it's going
to be the freshest.
Look at this.
That's a lot of butter.
I'll take about, oh, I don't
know, a cup off, and we'll
start there.
You can freeze these in ice cube
trays or in muffin tins, and pop
them in a plastic bag like you
would with pesto or something.
Then you can use them all
winter long.
Another way to preserve
your herbs.
Make sure your butter is at room
temperature when you do this.
Let's just taste this.
It's not that bad.
I thought it was going to be a
little bit garlicky, but it's
actually fine.
For a little bit of citrus I'm
going to add some lemon.
Ooh, now I get the garlic.
It takes a minute, then you
get it.
I'm going to add a little bit of
lemon zest just to kind of bring
out those--
I don't know.
I think it makes it taste
better, that's why I'm
adding it.
You probably what to use the
zest of a whole lemon for this.
Then just swirl that all up
together.
I'm just going to put it into a
bowl here.
* *
That's how you make herb butter.
* *
You want to probably let your
bison cool a few minutes before
you cut into it.
That way the juices can then
come together and it's a little
bit juicier, and you don't burn
yourself either.
Slice this thinly.
It's going to go on a sandwich,
you want to slice it as thin as
possible.
People are always talking about
the health benefits of
grass-fed meat.
It's lower in fat and
cholesterol, and just all over a
healthier product then
grain fed.
But what people forget is that
also when you're using grass-fed
meats you're supporting a
ecosystem of grass-fed, of
strong roots, of all the
diversity that we find in our
pastures, not only with the
grasses but with all the
wildlife that come back to those
pastures.
That's another thing that you
can think about when you're
eating your grass-fed meats is,
beyond the health benefits
there's a whole land
benefit to it too.
Now I'm just going to take a
baguette and slice it right down
the middle.
Spread butter right down
the length.
Some of my favorite toppings for
sandwiches is arugula.
Arugula is actually classified
as an herb.
A lot of people think it's a
lettuce or something but it's
not, it's an herb.
I love the peppery, pungent
flavor of the arugula.
Then I'll do a layer of
red onion.
I could eat red onion
like apples.
I just think that they're
delicious and they make
everything good.
And finally, the bison.
And you know, it's called
bison, not buffalo.
Don't get that wrong.
To serve this, I want people to
just be able to grab them, walk
around the pasture and just be
munching, so I'm just going to
serve it already wrapped up in
some parchment paper.
Now you just want to cut your
sandwiches into smaller pieces
so people get a couple of bites
out of each sandwich.
* *
Well, the folks should be
arriving soon so I'll just meet
you guys out in the pasture.
Attending a pasture walk is a
great way to get outside and
learn more about grazing.
Serve your picnic sandwiches and
you cheese plate with something
cold like champagne or a nice,
crisp white wine.
Fresh fruit also pairs nicely
with this picnic meal.
I hope the grasses is always
greener on your side of the
fence.
And I hope you gather with us
next time.
>> All: Around the farm table.
[moo]
>> Well, everybody, welcome to
the pasture walk.
I want to introduce
Mary Anderson.
She is a grazing coordinator for
River Country Resource and
Development Council.
She helps people develop their
grazing plans.
She helps with my grazing plan.
It took some time, but what do
you think about the
pastures now?
>> It looks fantastic.
I remember the very first time
we walked the farm.
We were primarily brome grass,
very, very thin stands.
Now we have, I counted, seven
different types of legumes
coming out to the field today.
>> Well, I think I spoke a
little bit too soon about
the rain.
I'm going to grab my umbrella.
If you all follow us down, we're
going to show you a little bit
about soil sampling.
* *
>> Funding for
Around the Farm Table
is provided in part by
Wisconsin Farmers Union,
a member driven organization
for family farmers, rural
communities and all people.
Wisconsin Farmers Union, united
to grow family agriculture.
Information at
WisconsinFarmersUnion.com.