America’s Artisan Cheese Industry Is Being Threatened by COVID-19 | Eater

"One of the country’s largest artisan cheesemakers and a longtime proponent of a Vermont “Taste of Place,” this farm depends on a network of local dairy partners and a full on‑farm workforce to produce and age its cheeses. Faced with a sudden pileup of milk after restaurants closed, the owners made the difficult decision to sell and rehome part of their own herd so they could continue buying milk from partner farms rather than cut their pay; some older or less productive animals were culled. Although the company already sells into big grocery channels, turning on new retail pipelines is slow (item setup and promotions can take many months), so large retailers were not a quick solution for excess inventory." - Anne Saxelby