Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1301686
NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 48 NOVEMBER 2020 L I V E + P L AY FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT lillooetcheesery.com The farm's store sells local products from other area farms. "We put so much energy into the well- being of our animals," Higleyand says. "I birth the animals, I raise the animals. I care deeply about them." That care and attention is evident both in the sheep's quality of life and the flavor of the cheese and meat products they produce. With its natural sweetness and higher fat and protein content, the sheep's milk is "a cheese- maker's dream. It really exhibits the quality of what the animal is eating," Marino says. The sheep's milk also doesn't require a lot of tinkering to make excellent cheese. "I don't fuss with it a lot," Marino says. "It's very pure and true to what milk tastes like," Higleyand agrees. Even without a lot of "fuss," the cheeses are delicious and distinctive, like the Pecorino- style Tilo and the softer Rospo, which has hints of brine and white mushroom. Other cheeses come and go seasonally as Marino continues to tinker and experiment. In addition to their cheeses, Lillooet Sheep & Cheesery also sells other sheep products, in- cluding various cuts of meat and ground lamb, sheepskins, and whole animals, which are popular with local restaurants. Many of these items can be ordered online or pre-ordered for in-person pickup. They work with Bartlett Yarns in Harmony, Maine, which uses a traditional process to wash, card, and spin the sheep's wool into un- dyed yarns that retain their natural lanolin oils, making them especially suited to harsh New England weather. In addition to the skeins of yarn for sale, farm store visitors can find "knit kits" with patterns and yarn needed for mak- ing things like a child's Scottish fisherman's sweater or a seafarer's watch cap. Lillooet Sheep & Cheesery's community focus is evident in the other products it carries, too, like cheeses from Dancing Goats Dairy and occasionally veggies from Iron Ox Farm in Topsfield. Other local cheeses are coming soon, too. And happily, for those looking to add beautiful local products to their holiday tables and gift-giving lists, their self-service farm stand is open year-round, seven days a week. "The whole idea, I think from the beginning, was to be very connected with the community," Marino says.