It turns out, farmers here in New York can cut the cheese after all, fresh cheese at farmers markets that is.
The State Department of Agriculture has decided to back off farmers at markets who cut their artisan cheeses fresh from the wheel. Earlier this year, the state penalized farmers for doing so.
Some were told they needed to obtain a license from the state to cut and sell cheese at the markets.
A rarely-enforced law that has been on the books for decades says dairy farmers who sell hand-crafted cheese at farmer's markets must pre-wrap it before its sold. Under a new interpretation of food-processing regulations by the state, vendors at open-air stands would have had to sell pre-wrapped cheese rather than cutting off a wedge from a wheel of cheddar or gouda.
But many farmers complained, saying it took away from the freshness and salability of the cheeses.
"The news that farmers were being told they needed to comply with such a regulation was irksome," said State Assemblyman Will Barclay. "The state was adding yet another layer of bureaucracy that made little sense...I'm sure they're happy to hear they are free to cut the cheese."
Do you think farmers should be able to sell freshly cut cheese at outdoor markets? Why or why not? Leave your thoughts below.
