Life of Cheese: Crafting Food and Value in America (California Studies in Food and Culture)

California Studies in Food and Culture #41

by Heather Paxson

Cheese is alive, and alive with meaning. Heather Paxson’s beautifully written anthropological study of American artisanal cheesemaking tells the story of how craftwork has become a new source of cultural and economic value for producers as well as consumers. Dairy farmers and artisans inhabit a world in which their colleagues and collaborators are a wild cast of characters, including plants, animals, microorganisms, family members, employees, and customers. As “unfinished” commodities, living products whose qualities are not fully settled, handmade cheeses embody a mix of new and old ideas about taste and value. By exploring the life of cheese, Paxson helps rethink the politics of food, land, and labor today.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Anthropology, Ethnography, College

303 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any food, cheese is a complex cultural artifact saturated with ethics and politics. That complexity is often lost in American debates over food politics, which are too often posed in simplistic terms of either-or questions, or with the stakes raised to all-or-nothing propositions. ... In insisting that personal habit and political action be one and the same, absolutist moralizing limits the possibilities of both.

Heather Paxson's "The Life of Cheese" brought with it the deep enjoyment that comes from reading a non-fiction book that challenges you to carefully examine what it is saying and spend time truly thinking about what it is telling you. As much about the stories we tell about what makes "artistry" or "craft" as it is about cheese, Paxon argues there are deeper layers to ideas behind food and agricultural than it may first seem. Deeply relevant to current discussions about how our values and identities are built into our consumption choices and the movements seeking different types of lifestyle.

[Grace Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately great information but definitely was born out of a masters/PhD thesis and reads like it (a little dense). But interesting.

[Vrinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book in an anthropology class in grad school, and really enjoyed it

[fleetofhorses · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life of Cheese is a great overview of American artisan cheese, focusing on the big gun craft cheese regions: California, Wisconsin and New England. She could have gone into more depth about the underlying economics of how these cheesemakers actually turn a profit and survive (i.e. also, the class issue is left out - who gets to experience this unsubsidized field of production? Who gets to learn the narrative of value that makes these products special?), namely, start-up costs, social world of cheesemakers... it's also unclear where she gets her information from - her section on "Method" is weak. Really enjoyable and inspiring read overall.

[Andrew Figueiredo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is at heart an anthropological study of artisanal cheesemaking. Paxson argues that artisanal cheese making is a"post-pastoral" endeavor, recognizing the interconnection and partnership between human, animal, and landscape but without unrealistically nostalgic pastoralism. As opposed to a purely industrial ethos, artisanal cheesemaking does not always prioritize bigness or efficiency above all else. But that doesn't mean cheesemakers are luddites either; for instance, many embrace high-tech solutions like PH readers, but channel these tools towards a value-laden endpoint. For some, these values focus on saving a forgotten art, for others, they deal with a connection to the land, and for others, they center on a family tradition. Paxson shows through her interviews and anecdotes that individual farmers differ on these questions, and her selection of subjects showcases a variety of American cheesemakers. It's very interesting to think about the role value-driven products play in a marketplace, especially when those products command a premium. There is perhaps space within the market for values of some sort. How we realize that on a societal level is a difficult yet worthwhile question to ask...

Unfortunately, like too many anthro studies, it can be dense and takes a while to get into. Some chapters, namely the ones explaining the science behind cheesemaking and the regulatory regime around raw milk cheese, were positively engrossing. Others were so dry I was tempted to put down the book. A true three star book--sometimes captivating, sometimes boring, interesting in the end.

[A YOGAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es ist eine faszinierende Ironie: Erwartet hatte ich ein aktuelles Werk über die moderne Food-Szene – und hielt plötzlich ein Stück Zeitgeschichte der Anthropologie in den Händen. Doch gerade diese zeitliche Distanz verleiht der Lektüre ihre unerwartete Tiefe.
Heather Paxson zeigt, dass der Kampf um das „echte“ Lebensmittel keine hippe Neuerfindung des 21. Jahrhunderts ist, sondern eine jahrzehntelange Reaktion auf industrielle Entfremdung. Die Debatten um Handwerk, Rohmilch, Fermentation und mikrobielles Leben wurzeln in einer grundlegenden Kritik an der Abstraktion von Nahrung – an ihrer Reduktion auf Ware, Norm und hygienisch kontrollierte Einheit.
Dass diese Fragen seit über einem halben Jahrhundert – in den agrarkritischen Vorläufern ebenso wie in der Anthropologie – nachwirken, zeigt: Materialität und „Mikrobiopolitik“ sind keine Trends. Sie sind existenzielle Auseinandersetzungen mit unserer Biosphäre.
Hier werden die Grundsteine einer Ethik gelegt, die heute in der „Farm-to-Table“-Bewegung kulminiert. Diese Perspektive wirkt wie ein stilles, aber kraftvolles Korrektiv zu jener abstrakten Finanzwelt, die ich bei Brorhilker („Cum/Ex, Milliarden und Moral. Warum sich der Kampf gegen Wirtschaftskriminalität lohnt“) beschrieben habe: Während dort Milliarden in Sekunden durch Algorithmen fließen, erinnert uns dieses „alte“ Buch daran, dass Wertschöpfung Zeit braucht – und Bakterien, Geduld, Geruch, Berührung.
Ein entschleunigter Blick auf die Welt, der heute fast radikaler erscheint als zum Zeitpunkt seines Erscheinens.

[Sean Flannery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed full of information, sometimes a bit too wordy, but introduces pertinent topics and really allows the reader to gain knowledge about the cheesemaking industry in the U.S. Heather Paxson is also a wonderful speaker in person and if anybody has the chance to see her talk, they should!

[Emb127]

Great for those who appreciate academic and scientifically written text - an anthropological dissertation on U.S. based artisan cheese production.

[Petalbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't think I'd be reading a graduate studies tome, but here we are 😄🧀🧀

[Ciaobella · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delight to dip myself in Heather Paxson's "Life of Cheese." I had the pleasure of listening to Heather speak at Boston University's Gastronomy continuing education program. This led me to immediately purchasing the hard copy of the book, instead of waiting to download the digital version when I got home.

The book was as interesting as Paxson's talk. Paxson stirs a mixture of stories, theory, economics and science to create a view of small cheese producers in New England, Wisconsin and northern California.

Having grown up in Wisconsin and spent considerable time exploring New England cheeses in the last 7 years, I've closely watched many of the businesses described in "The Life of Cheese."

As one who enjoys cheese and wool, I see parallels between small cheese producers and indie yarn, as the post pastoral lifestyle develops in the 21st Century. Will globalization and economic factors bring more people back to the land in the US, pursuing a rewarding entrepreneurial career path? How do our government policies need to change in order to support or acknowledge these trends?

I'd love to brainstorm about the possibilities...

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating look at the world of American artisan cheesemaking - is it art, science, or craft? How does the American context differ from the European one? What is going to happen to the artisan cheesemaking movement in the upcoming years? Paxson highlights the tensions between the perceived values of cheesemaking by small-scale, artisan farmers, and the practical constraints of sustaining a business within the world of artisan cheesemaking. She also draws attention to the "American Pastoral" idyllic/romanticized view of farming, cheesemaking, and nature, versus the much more nuanced reality. A great read for anyone interested in the American farmstead cheese movement.