Photo Credit: Grafton Village Cheese

After the Windham Foundation concluded it could not invest as needed to grow its historic cheese brand, a South Woodstock cheesemaker stepped up.

The Windham Foundation announced that it has sold its historic Grafton Village Cheese business for an undisclosed price to Vermont Farmstead Cheese based in South Woodstock. The two award-winning artisan cheese lines will continue to be sold under their existing brand names but benefit from strengthened joint distribution and other operational efficiencies, said Kent Underwood, 45, Vermont Farmstead Cheese president and co-owner.

Underwood said Grafton Village Cheese will continue to make cheese in Grafton and run its packing, shipping, cheese-smoking and retail location in Proctorsville. Its roughly 22 employees, including head cheesemaker Mariano Gonzalez, will join 13 who work for Vermont Farmstead Cheese. Both operations source milk largely from Vermont with a little coming from New Hampshire and New York.

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