Three Shepherds Cheese - Celebrating 28 years of teaching cheesemaking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do students stay?
In Vermont: We are located in the extremely beautiful Mad River Valley of the central Green Mountains of Vermont. You will not find any chain hotels here, but we have a plethora of lodging options with all the amenities you are looking for during your stay in our Valley, everything from basic hostel accommodations to a 5-star Relais Chateau. Please check out https://www.madrivervalley.com/vt/lodging
An increasingly popular option is short term rentals. Check out Airbnb and VRBO for their listings of local houses and condos.
All lodging choices within the Mad River Valley are a 15-minute or less drive from Three Shepherds. We are in the town of Warren, but Waitsfield, Fayston, and Moretown are all nearby.
In Texas: We have taught classes in the Granbury area for many years, and we recommend The Plantation Inn for simple, clean accommodations with very friendly staff. For something a little more upscale, the beautiful inn “Manor of Time” is owned and operated by some of our former cheese course students. There are many chain hotels including a Hilton right on Granbury Lake near the downtown square and a Scottish Inn in Cresson, Texas where some students have stayed before.
For all of our classes: Wherever you make reservations, please mention that you are taking the class. Many places will offer specials to our students.
What airport should I fly into?
For Vermont classes: Burlington, Vermont (BTV) is our closest and is about a 50-minute drive from our place. You can also look into Manchester, NH (2 hrs), Boston, MA (3 hrs), Albany, NY (3hrs), or Montreal, QC (2.5 hrs).
For Texas classes: DFW or Love Field are the closest airports and about an hour and a half drive from Lipan, Texas.
What is the time of the classes?
Generally, 1-day classes go from 9:30 am until 3:30 pm and include lunch.
Three-day classes go from 9 am until 4 pm on Friday, 10:15 am until 4:45 pm on Saturday (allows time for a morning class visit to our local farmers market), and 9 am until 3 pm on Sunday. The Saturday evening Vermont Farmstead Dinner begins at 7:30 pm
I’m traveling with my spouse (friend, sibling, parent, etc), but they are not taking the class, can I bring them to the Saturday evening dinner?
Absolutely! Our long time policy has been that anyone traveling to Vermont for the class can bring traveling companions to the Vermont Farmstead Dinner, just let us know in advance.
I have a special cheese in mind that I want to make— is that a possibility?
Please contact us if you have a special cheesemaking request. Our cheesemaking itinerary covers most of the techniques you will encounter in cheesemaking recipes. We make every effort to cover student's favorite cheeses, and even if we can’t make a particular cheese in class, we will make sure to discuss the steps required and provide a recipe if possible.
What should I wear?
The joke in Vermont is that if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes. May and early June can be quite cool and variable, July tends to be our hottest month (above 85 degrees F is fairly rare), and nighttime temps in August are already dipping into the high 40s. Late September and early October are particularly stunning with many warm clear days and cool crisp nights (and the fall colors are unrivaled!).
So best advice, wear layers and bring some options. Our unique cheese facility is generally very comfortable, light, and airy. Please wear clean, non-shedding shirts, a head covering (cap, bandana, scarf, etc), and comfortable water-resistant shoes. We will provide aprons or chef jackets, and have caps and vinyl slip on boots available.
What do I do if I can’t make the class?
We realize that unexpected things can happen, and we have a very flexible rescheduling policy. Please contact us (within 30 days of your class) to reschedule (with no penalty) for another one of our classes over the next 12 months. Sorry, we do not issue refunds for any of our cheesemaking or culinary classes.
