Monterey Chevre -- A goat cheese unique to Berkshire County

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Across the verdant landscape of Monterey, and a little off the beaten track, lies Rawson Brook Farm. This small family-run farm, with its low-fenced paddocks and unassuming barn and outbuildings, is the birthplace of Monterey Chevre (pronounced “shev”), a type of goat cheese. “We got our license to produce cheese for sale in 1984 and have been making Monterey Chevre ever since,” said Rawson Brook Farm owner Susan Sellew. Monterey Chevre is a fresh, soft, and smooth goat cheese. Although reluctant to compare chevre to cream cheese, Sellew agrees that their textures are similar. Besides the mild, plain chevre, Rawson Brook Farm also makes various flavorful varieties like thyme and olive oil chevre. According to Sellew, goat’s milk is more easily digestible than cow’s milk. “We can assimilate it much more quickly. Some people that think they may be lactose intolerant, might not be. Goat milk has lactose, but maybe they just have a hard time digesting cow’s milk.” Rawson Brook Farm is currently home to seventy goats: mostly females, three breeding males, and over a dozen kids. The majority of Sellew’s goats are American and French Alpines, but she does have several white-haired Sanaans and one Nubian for variety in her product. “Nubians have richer milk but produce less of it,” explained Sellew. “There’s higher butter fat and protein in their milk.” She has bred her Nubian goat, Delight, to an Alpine in hopes that the resulting kids will produce the same rich milk in greater quantities. Fifty goats are milked twice each day using milking machines. Each goat averages one gallon of milk per day and it takes one gallon of milk to produce one pound of cheese. “We make 350 to 400 pounds of chevre each week,” said Sellew. Each year, the farm begins producing cheese in the middle of March through to the first week of January. Goats are seasonal breeders that go through a five-month pregnancy. Sellew tries to breed them in October so that they can bear kids come March. The yearly break in cheese production is due to the fact that goats do not produce milk in the last half of their pregnancy. “Goats usually bear twins or triplets,” Sellew stated, but sometimes single kids, or even quadruplets, are born. Out of the 100 to 120 kids born each year at the farm, Sellew keeps approximately 12 to raise as future milkers. Sellew has had goats since the 1970s — during what she calls her “homesteading days” — at a farm in northern New York where she met a French woman who taught her various goat-cheese-making techniques. Sellew stated matter-of-factly, “I’d fallen in love with goats and one thing led to another.” Soon after, Sellew decided to open Rawson Brook Farm in the Berkshires “because I grew up here and love it here.” Still, she is a business woman and admitted that she also thought Berkshire County “would be a good location since it’s between New York City and Boston.” Although quite a broad range for distribution, Sellew expressed confusion over the fact that “over the years, I hear a lot that people have said they’ve gotten Monterey Chevre in areas I don't distribute to. I do all my own distributing; I know where my cheese is sold.” As far as she knows, Rawson Brook Farm is the only one in Monterey that produces chevre. “I think that maybe people try it somewhere and they like it.” Sellew speculated, “Then they assume that a soft goat cheese is Monterey Chevre, that it’s a type of cheese, not from a specific farm in Massachusetts. Maybe consumers think all chevre is Monterey.” Sellew stated that her cheeses could be purchased at her farm, but that this is secondary to her main distribution to stores and restaurants. Monterey Chevre can be purchased as close to home as Guido’s in Lenox, the Berkshire Co-Operative Market in Great Barrington, Creative Gourmet in Tanglewood, Random Harvest in Craryville, Stockbridge Wine in Stockbridge, and Brandow's in Hudson — or as far away as Zabar’s in New York City and at several Bread and Circus locations in Boston — just to name a few. The cheese can also be found at many restaurants, including Aubergine’s in Hillsdale, N.Y., the Castle Street Café in Great Barrington, the Seven Hills Inn in Lenox, the Williamsville Inn in West Stockbridge, The Old Mill in South Egremont, and The Last Chance Café in Tannersville, N.Y. Although her business has thrived, Sellew considers her goats more than just income-producers. “I take them on hikes with me and they stay by my side.” While scratching behind the ear of an obviously grateful goat, she stated, “They’re all very friendly. People always seem sorry that they don’t have a treat for the goats when they walk over. They don’t understand that they aren’t just looking for food — they really just appreciate the attention.”
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.

Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.

We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.

In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.

Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear. 

The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.

"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."

Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.

In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.

The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.

"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.

They are hoping their display carries on the tradition of the Arnold Family Christmas Lights Display that retired in 2022.

The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.

In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.

"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said. 

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