Arethusa Dairy Farm: Saving CT Farmland Through Exceptional Dairy

CTBites and Terrain were recently invited to Arethusa Dairy Farm for a behind the scenes tour of their dairy farm and cheese making process. But before we get all cheesy, I want to share the wonderful story of a once little known dairy farm. 

It all began in 1999 when the Webster family put their 150 year old family farm up for sale. Worried that their view would be obstructed, and to preserve the historic property, neighbors George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgatis stepped in to purchase the farm once named for a small pink orchid that grew in a swamp on the land. Malkemus and Yurgatis promised to restore its original name, and such were the humble beginnings of the Arethusa Dairy Farm. 

Malkemus and Yurgatis are also the owners of a shoe company that quickly catapulted to fame in the 90’s thanks to the HBO hit series, Sex and the City, making Manolo Blahnik a household name. How sensational it was that a quiet little dairy farm quickly rose to fame on the heels of its new owners. The New York Times even dubbed Arethusa as “The Dairy Built on Stiletto Heels.” 

A few years later the two decided to purchase five purebred Holsteins; Jerseys and Brown Swiss would soon follow. The Holsteins and Jerseys would bring home top honors from the most prestigious world dairy show in the world. Melanie, the Holstein, was named Supreme Champion of the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin, and Veronica, a Jersey girl, was named Reserve Supreme Champion. Arethusa continued to grow as three new barns were added and Veronica would return back to the World Dairy Expo, this time claiming the Supreme Champion honors. 

At a rented creamery in nearby Bolton, Arethusa began bottling milk under their new label which they would sell locally while the herd continued to grow and garner more awards. Soon two buildings were purchased in Bantam and the construction of the Arethusa Farm Dairy Farm as we know it began.

Today Arethusa’s products include yogurt, ice cream, butter, cheese and eggnog. The farm has over 300 award-winning cows, and the staff is dedicated to crafting the highest-quality dairy goods. Their tagline, Great milk comes from great cows, and great cows live at Arethusa certainly rings true if you’ve had the opportunity to have any of their products. 

All of Arethusa’s products are made exclusively from their own dairy and can be purchased at select retail locations throughout the state as well as their on-site shops and restaurants, Al Tavolo, A Mano and their newest addition, the Arethusa Dairy Farm storefront in New Haven.

It should be no surprise that award-winning cows should make award-winning cheese. Arethusa Blue took home the top spot in its category, blue veined cheeses, at the World Championship Cheese Contest in Wisconsin. The competition is the world’s largest, this year featuring 3,402 entries from 26 countries, in 121 different categories. That’s quite a stiff competition.  Other cheeses also scored well including the Arethusa Camembert which took Fourth Place for the Camembert Cheeses and the Arethusa Tapping Reeve which took Sixth Place for Natural Rinded Cheddar Cheeses.

I’m reminded of an old commercial. Happy Cows make happy milk. I think this is certainly the case here at Arethusa. While the milk is not organic, it comes from pasture-fed cows, and when the weather is an issue, they receive top-quality Canadian hay and individually tailored mixtures of grains and nutrient supplements delivered by a computerized system overhead. The cows’ tails are also washed daily with soapy water, and they get full body washes once a week. Oh to be a perfectly happy, pampered Arethusa cow!

The farm, which started as a grassroots process, still hires and trains local talent, researches best practices remains steadfast in its mission to do what’s best for the environment.  

Now to the tour and the cheese making process which starts with a 600 gallon vat of milk into which cultures are added to help the fermentation process. In 30 hours the milk has coagulated, gelatinized, and cheese curds have been formed, at which point the moisture has been pushed out of the curds and turned into young, fresh cheese. This initial process applies to all of the cheeses with subtle adjustments needed to create the different varieties. For example, curds vary in size and this influences the cheese’s acidity, texture and moisture. 

Once collected the curds are placed in different sized molds - a smaller mold to produce Camembert, a larger one for cheddar. Cheese-making is both an art and a science with many factors that come into play including weather, feed and animal health. Arethusa currently has nine different varieties, none of which are raw milk. Each cheese is named after a famous landmark or historical figure. 

The plant is no small space, allowing for 5000 square feet for the aging process alone. Within this square footage “cheese caves” have been created to meet the individual needs of each type. Gouda, Swiss and other waxy rinds are aged together in an area that has a lower moisture maintenance area free of mold and yeast. Sophisticated sensors and misters are strategically placed throughout each cave to maintain very specific heat and humidity levels. Each meticulous step factors into these award-winning cheeses. The blues, naturally, require a higher humidity level to let the moisture seep in to allow the mold to form. Specially designed wooden shelves line some of the rooms. These shelves help regulate humidity levels. Some of the cheeses are flipped and brushed to help them breathe. Many of the cheeses age for about 4 months, but the Tappen Reeve requires all of 15 months to achieve its award-winning perfection.

The farm’s yogurt, butter and ice cream are also created on-site and made from scratch. One gallon of cream yields three pounds of butter. Once the cream is cultured and the buttermilk has drained off, the butter is rinsed, then pressed to eliminate excess moisture and pumped to just the right temperature. Butter must contain 80% butterfat to be considered a butter and theirs is just slightly over at about 84%. Sea salt is then added to maintain the creamy texture - it also adds an incredible flavor. (Once you have their butter you’ll never want the grocery store stuff again!)

 But it is their incredible, award winning ice cream for which Arethusa is best known. Always made from scratch, each flavor requires a different mix to ensure the best flavor profile. There’s no one size fits all here! Even though Spring is still well over a month away, they are working hard to stockpile their ice creams to meet the heavy summer demands.

Most recently Arethusa began growing produce and flowers on a 5 acre parcel on the farm in an area now called Arethusa Gardens. An interesting fact about their garden is that there’s no tiling. This helps maintain the soil’s nutrients and reduces carbon footprint. Did you know that ⅓ of the world’s carbon footprint is produced from tillage?  The farm supplies Al Tavolo with fresh produce throughout the year. They like to refer to this endeavor as seed-to-table.

Arethusa Dairy Farm welcomes visitors year round. We do strongly suggest booking in advance as Al Tavolo books up quickly.  We assure you it will be well worth the wait. A Mano, a casual cafe, boasting some delicious pastries, coffee and sandwiches is located across the street. But we cannot talk about Arethusa without mentioning the dairy store. No trip to Bantam is complete without their ice cream. Here’s a tip, in the summertime when the temps are high, the lines are long, very long. To beat the crowds try hitting the creamery at off hours. Doors open at 10:00 am and close at 6:00 during the week and 8:00 on weekends. There’s no wrong time to eat ice cream and mornings are never off limits.

In warmer weather Arethusa opens their barn to the public to enjoy their Open Barn Saturdays. This is a wonderful activity for people of all ages and guests will see first-hand just how well these cows are treated and loved. We suggest making a day of this. We love the drive to Litchfield and the farm is stunning from spring to fall - each season offers its exceptional foliage creating that magical scenic backdrop. Bring your cameras, charge up your phones! Drive up for brunch, lunch or dinner, visit the cows then head back for your ice cream.

For more information about Arethusa, the farm and the restaurants,  visit their website here, Arethusa Dairy Farm.

822 BANTAM ROAD BANTAM, CT 06750(860) - 567 - 0043