Mount Holly Newsflash- Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Mount Holly Newsflash - Tuesday, August 16, 2022 
The weather today in Mount Holly -Isolated rain showers after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 2 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Archived Newsflash emails can be read at: https://mthollynewsflash.blogspot.com
Ludlow Rotary Learns How
Crowley Makes Cheese
 
At its August 9 meeting, members of the Ludlow Rotary Club traveled to Healdville to tour the facilities of Crowley Cheese and learn how their cheese was produced.
 
Crowley Cheese began making cheese in 1824 in the Crowley farm kitchen.  In 1882 it built its factory next to the Crowley farm in Mt Holly and has been producing its fine cheeses ever since.  Recognized as a National Historic Place, it is the oldest continuously-operating cheese producer in America.
 
Galen Jones, President of Crowley Cheese, detailed the process by which their special version of cheddar cheese is created.  Unlike the usual process, where the bulk of the process is handled by machines, Crowley still employs its age-old process requiring the patience and attention that only direct human involvement can produce.
 
Crowley cheese is made according to a unique recipe. It falls in the Cheddar family, but unlike a Cheddar it doesn't go through the cheddaring process. Instead, the production adds a rinse step that reduces the amount of whey in the cheese. This step is somewhat similar to the wash step used in Colby.  As a result, their cheddars are more moist.  Jones also noted that it takes 10 units of milk to create one of cheese. 

 
Picture above is Galen Jones as he explains the cheese making process to the Ludlow Rotarians as they view the actual cheese production area.
 
The Ludlow Rotary Club welcomes interested persons to its weekly meetings, usually held at DJs Restaurant on Tuesdays beginning at Noon.  Simply ask a Rotarian for more information or contact Kevin Barnes at 802.228.8877.

 
Mount Holly Biodiversity nears 1,000!
 
Amazing!  As of August 15, 2022 over 3,239 submitted observations by 188 volunteers have identified 990 different species of plants, animals, and fungi in Mount Holly.  Who will submit number 1,000?  What will the 1,000th species be?  With only 10 species to go, it could be you who puts us over the top and it will be soon!  This is an excellent time to find new species of moths, butterflies, migratory birds (they are moving southward), and wildflowers.  New wildflower blossoms are appearing almost daily and insects are everywhere.  Weather is great, get outdoors, explore, and help put us over 1,000!
 
So far, the breakdown is 463 plants, 275 insects, 92 fungi, 86 birds, and 21 mammals.  Plus all the fish, amphibians, reptiles, mollusks, worms, and more.  We have identified numerous non-natives, threatened and endangered species, and most importantly, many common species that make Mount Holly Nature so special.  Visit our website at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/mount-holly-biodiversity and add your own observations.
 
Mount Holly Biodiversity is a community science project sponsored by the Mount Holly Conservation Trust and the Mount Holly Conservation Commission.  Want more information?  Call Jim at 802-259-2311.