North Florida Dairy Goat Association

We spent the afternoon with 35 members of the North Florida Dairy Goat Association. Some have had goats as long as Laura Chenel...since the 1970s. Others just gotten started recently through a 4-H project, or as one teacher shared, because her fiance gave her 5 goats. We met a couple who, in May, had hiked part of El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, have had various breeds of goats and now are focusing on Nigerian Dwarfs, and have turkeys to sell...Anybody need turkeys? The discussions were both conceptual and very pragmatic...ranging from the value of good food to the regulations for selling raw milk, cheese, eggs, and produce. The meeting was at Mary and Rusty Ludlams' farm. Mary made an amazing blueberry cobbler for dessert, which vied with such delights as home-made angel food cake, lemon bars, and apple pecan bars for best-in-class. No winner could be selected. There was fresh roasted turkey, beef stew, pasta salads, and fresh green and tomato salads. Summer abundance! Food Heaven!

Russ and I got to talk a bit about our adventures in the world of American artisanal cheeses. What a lovely way to spend a Florida June Sunday!

Book Trip Fun

My trip was great fun. I had 8 book events and a wonderful 45th Reunion with my Nazareth College friends.

First stop was Erick's Cheese and Wine in Banner Elk NC. The Summer of a Thousand Cheeses and I visited Grandfather Mountain while there, too.

Next I went to Mansfield where I spent a wonderful evening eating and chatting with friends Larry and Donna, a nice morning hiking with Donna, and a super evening at the chef-owned, excellent Wren's Nest Restaurant.

In Rochester, I did book talks at the Sisters of Saint Joseph Motherhouse and at my Reunion.

Coming back to Florida, I stopped at Cheese To You in Lexington and the chef-owned restaurant Staunton Grocery and specialty food store George Bowers Grocery both in Staunton Virginia and at Flat Creek Lodge in Georgia.