VON TRAPP FARMSTEAD: The Hills Are Alive with Curds and Whey
BY MARIA BUTEUX READE
Being a cheesemaker is not for the faint of heart. It’s physically demanding and not as glamorous as some may think. The milk flow is constant; there is no pause button. Even when the cheesemaker’s hands aren’t finessing curd or fussing with aging cheese, they’re cleaning, scrubbing, and sanitizing. Something. Everything.
So what enticed Molly Semler to pursue this vocation? “Something called me,” she says. “I can’t truly explain. My interest in eating cheese and desire to work with my hands morphed into a compelling desire to make it.” In 2007, Molly decided to feed her burgeoning passion for cheese by apprenticing part time at Sage Farm Goat Dairy in Stowe. During the next six years, Molly continued to explore the cheese world—taking classes, raising her own goats, and visiting other producers. In 2013, Sebastian von Trapp reached out to Molly at the recommendation of their mutual friend, Marisa Mauro of Ploughgate Creamery, asking if she wanted to work in their farmstead creamery that he and his brother Dan built in 2009. Although Sebastian had previously worked for Jasper Hill Farm, he developed his first cheese, Oma, in the von Trapp creamery and aged it at the Cellars at Jasper Hill. Oma is named after his grandmother, Erika von Trapp.
Erika von Trapp had studied agriculture in Austria. Years later, she and her husband Werner von Trapp moved to the United States, and in 1959 established the von Trapp family farm in Waitsfield. Erika ran the Vermont dairy farm while Werner traveled, singing with his musical family. Oma and Opa loved how the extended von Trapp family had not only Erika von Trapp maintained but also expanded the family farm. Oma passed away in 2019.
The von Trapp Farmstead is a certified organic dairy with a “rainbow herd” of 100 cows that graze the lush pastures. This mixed group of Jersey, Normande, Ayrshire, and Montbéliarde breeds provides a unique ratio of fat to protein perfectly suited to producing their line of cheeses. Molly notes, “It’s the process, the people, the cows, and the land that give our cheese complexity and infuse it with rich flavor.”
The farm centers on the cows, land, and hay. Sebastian’s mother, Kelly, manages the herd; his father, Martin, focuses on the land, feed, and equipment. The farmstead, which Molly and Sebastian run with a team of six, encompasses the creamery, the whey-fed pigs, and the farm store. “Sebastian is the unflappable problem solver, the bridge between farm and farmstead,” Molly adds. “I’m the head cheesemaker, which means I train and mentor the cheesemaking team. I’m in the cheese house four days a week, providing support where needed—hands on the curd, brining and turning, adjusting recipes, cleaning and sanitizing.”
The von Trapp Farmstead produces a quartet of cheeses. Mt. Alice, a bloomy rind Camembert, offers a perfect balance of creamy and gooey. Savage, a dense cave-aged Alpine cheese named after the man who first farmed this land in the 1700s, hints of woodsy umami. Mad River Blue has a smooth texture and a mild blue bite. Oma, a washed-rind tomme that’s earthy, buttery, and sweet, is made at the von Trapp Farmstead and cellared at Jasper Hill. “Our philosophy is to focus on these four distinct styles and make the best cheeses we can make,” Molly explains.
Molly and Sebastian evolved into partners in business and in life. “We work well together and enjoy this collaboration. It’s like a date when we can do a cheese-make together,” she laughs. A cheese-make begins with piping milk from the bulk tank into the vat where it is heated, pasteurized, and then cooled. Culture and rennet are added next, creating curds that must be cut and stirred. After that, the curds are separated from the whey and loaded into the molds.
“Cheesemaking is so grounding for me,” Molly reflects. “And although the act of cheesemaking may seem meditative, I have to pay attention to how the curds are behaving. Being off by 30 seconds can change the cheese. And with fresh milk, we’re working with a different product every day. Cheese tells you everything—it’ll scream at you when you make a mistake. We just follow what the cheese wants.”
“Producing high-quality milk takes a ton of work so I am committed to transforming that milk into excellent cheese,” she continues. “I’m fairly competitive and grew up playing ice hockey, soccer, and cello. Like an athlete or a musician, a cheesemaker practices daily, tweaking and adjusting to improve the end result. I rely on my senses to make decisions that will shape the day’s final product.”
“I love that this is a dynamic and challenging job,” Molly ponders. “I’m passionate about real food and a way of sustainable farming that keeps the land and people healthy. This is the life we’ve chosen. The farm and the cheese are woven into the fabric of our lives. It’s an added bonus that I can have our 18-month-old twins, Sylvie and Dean, nearby. I wagon them through the barn so they can see their Grammy milking the cows. It’s really important to us that our babies can grow up on this farm. And at the end of the day? Our job is to eat cheese. Now that’s the glamorous part!”
