It is very difficult to find the words to explain how important David
Brown's guidance and influence was on my cheese making. That is because I
can, with great appreciation, attribute my entire ability to make my very
unique, one of a kind cheese, to the help and support I received from David
Brown.
    He was instrumental in the very beginning of my budding career as a
cheese maker. Before I ever knew anything about making cheese, David was
there! I met David in late 2005 and we began having chats that would make
the clock spin. I would enter the kingdom of his Cornell basement office
around 11 am, and when we were finished discussing cheese, it would easily
be 3 pm. I was always amazed at how much he knew and how easy it was for him
to give of his knowledge and experience. He was never haughty or elite with
his wealth of knowledge, and he was always ready at the drop of a hat
to share all he knew.
   I will never be able to thank him enough for what he did for me! I ended
up in Dave's office because I wanted to make a new cheese, cultured with
living kefir grains, made from raw milk, that I could legally sell. That was
the beginning. Fortunately, David new much about kefir grains! He even had
stories about when he traveled to Siberia and tasted kefir that would "clean
your teeth". It was becoming clear to me after a few meetings with him that
I could actually make this new cheese that I was so fanatically driven to
create. I asked David if he would be my technical advisor for a Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education grant proposal to acquire funds to design
the recipe at the Cornell Food Processing Pilot Lab. He said yes! He also
said he was not a very good student of the English language, and that he had
thought many times that he should take a writing course. That was fine for
me, because I am much more comfortable in the writing department, and I lack
the genius he possessed in the science department.
  The grant was funded and in 2006 my new Kefir cheese recipe was born!
David was there every step of the way. It took us up until the end of 2007
to really get a handle on the challenges the recipe was presenting. Without
David, I would have no cheese, and I would know nothing about making cheese.
This is not an overstatement. I came into the Pilot Lab knowing next to
nothing about cheese making, except for a one day course I took on cheese
making.
  This man answered more questions, basic questions that he could have told
me to go figure out on my own, than anyone is obliged to do. As time past,
my questions became more intermediate, and perhaps lately, I began answering
my own questions. He liked that! I would call Dave or email him with a
problem, and in his typical way, he would be silent for awhile. Then I would
call him out of extreme frustration, limping towards another disastrous
situation, and he would calmly say, "I have an answer to your problem". I
would say, "David, why didn't you call me sooner", and he would say, "I was
thinking about it". And he would time and time again, get me through a
serious setback. He was always positive, always an optimist, and boy was
that a breath of fresh air, because I was so often in a deep hole with one
cheese issue after another the first year of production. I once asked Dave
after so many recipe issues, "Do you think I should continue trying to work this out?", and he said "Yes!". That yes came at a very crucial time. It was a question I was afraid
to ask, had put off asking, because all indications in the cheese room were
that this cheese could not be done. But Dave said yes! That gave me enough
steam to push on, and I can honestly say, that I have a confidence in my
cheesemaking that I never thought I would have. Thanks to his encouragement.
  David was always on the road it seemed, traveling to training sessions and
to give new cheese makers advice. So often when I would call him, I would
ask him where he was. Sometimes he was in another cheese facility and he
would take the time right then to answer my questions. Sometimes he would be
in the vehicle and the phone would be cutting out, but he managed to answer
my questions. Sometimes he was judging cheese, and he still considered my
plight. Who else would give so much?
  This man was an institution, with an encyclopedia in his head for all
things cheese. I would often say, "David, you have to write a book, what are
we going to do when you leave us." I would often joke with him and tell him
to be careful crossing streets! I knew very well how important and necessary
he was to my cheese making in the beginning. I would pray that God would
keep him safe.
  So the morning that I received the email telling me that David had passed
away, I was so shocked and heartbroken, I cannot tell you how empty I felt.
It could not be true! It is still very difficult for me to come to grips
with his untimely passing. You see, he was a mentor of the very best kind,
he was available for the mental process, he was in my stream of
consciousness, he guided me through my cheese making when not even
there....I apprenticed with him, and that is a very special thing! He gave
me the gift of cheesemaking, he gave me my cheese recipe. I will always be
grateful for his giving!
   My cheese is still not perfect, it continues to evolve. I am now going to
start pressing my curds before I age my cheese. David will not be there to
guide me, but in spirit, I know that he will be there at the critical times,
when I have had just about enough! He gave me one of the best gifts of my
life, and that is an incredible thing to receive. The gift of artisanal farmstead cheese, one of his passions! Thanks David, you will be missed!
   God Bless David Brown's family. May they always have the very best of
everything!

Rose Marie Belforti
Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery
www.kefircheese.com