Where's the cheese?

Hello my wine loving friends! How many of you enjoy a nice cheese plate with your wine from time to time? I love sitting down to a simple lunch of cheese, fruit and a glass of wine. That is as pure a meal as you can get. If the items all happen to be locally grown and produced, that just makes it SO much better! Very Old World, but buying local produce, wine, meats and cheeses has been a normal part of peoples lives all over the world for centuries. Why this phenomenom is just now becoming popular in our culture is beyond me. I am sure the instant gratification of the local Bel Air, Safeway or Nugget has a lot to do with our current food buying culture, but would we as consumers buy local food, wine, meats and cheeses if the price was competitive and the access easier?

Just look at the popularity of local farmers markets to get the answer. They are now poping up almost in every little town, and on a regular schedule. Here in the Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park area, you will find mostly produce and baked goods, and some locally prepared foods. What you do not see is a wide variety of local meats or cheeses. You might find some wineries, but only in the Sacramento and Davis markets. Why is that?

Well, I think for our local farmers markets, the wineries are simply just too close. How hard is it for a person to drive 40 minutes once a week to buy some outstanding local wines? So where are the cheeses and the meats? There is none! I know there are local ranchers who sell beef, excellent beef that is free range. I have tasted it and it is better than anything you can buy at the high end grocers. But for some reason, they can't or will not sell at the markets. And where are the local cheeses? With the number of small farms in El Dorado County, and the abundant land dedicated to agriculture here, why are there no farmstand cheeses, or even artisan cheeses made from milk sourced from other dairies? California has a great orginization dedicated to helping these small business thrive, it is called the California Artisan Cheese Guild . Wouldn't you love to pick up some fresh mozzerella with your heirloom tomatoes at the farmers market?

I am going to spend some time looking into this topic, and see where the logjam is. I cannot believe it is because we have a lack of entrepreneurs in El Dorado County, since this county's backbone is made up of small business owners. I do not think it is because of the lack of available land, this county is mostly agriculture outside of El Dorado Hills. So what is it? I have heard rumblings that it is the very county itself. So if it is, I want to know why? We have an election coming up very soon with new county supervisors trying to gain a seat. If the county is the problem, will they be the solution? I am going to find out.

I have heard many horror stories of how the county of El Dorado has made it difficult for new wineries to open their doors. I know a lot has to do with the "NO Growth" contigent here in the county, but aside from the new casino being built in Shingle Springs, what is going to attract more tourist dollars to this county? The wine industry! But it needs infrastructure such as small hotels, more restaraunts in the wine country and other, local food products that compliment the wine industry - such as cheese! Look to Sonoma County for an example of how these businesses work hand in hand.

Let's do some digging, and hopefully, we can find some cheese!

Cheese Guy Image is from the California Artisan Cheese Guild