It's a hot, muggy morning as I walk down Main Street in Brattleboro, VT. Proudly sporting my white tee with a Jersey cow playing a saxophone atop of a wheel of cheese on the back. I'm also carrying a cooler full of water bottles and ice. The streets are quiet, but I'm expecting them to be busy with spectators within minutes. As I peak around the corner of a large  building on Frost street, I see heifers lined up along the fence, tractors, students with band instruments, 'pooper scoopers' dressed up as Fruit of the Loom characters and people doing last minute touches on their float.

If you haven't guessed yet, I'm at the line up for the Strolling of the Heifers parade. I have hada lot of experience with parades during my dairy princess years in Minnesota, but never have I seen so many cattle (heifers, donkeys, goats) preparing for a parade. They wore beautiful flower necklaces and had their hooves all polished. It was an exciting day for agriculture in the town of Brattleboro. 

It was also an exciting day for Grafton Village Cheese. We sported our John Deere tractor and cheese-shaped fishing shanty along with two Jersey calves and some dedicated employees. More employees were preparing at the Cheese Pavilion for the thousands of visitors ready to sample some great Vermont-made cheeses after the parade. Never have I felt such pride and dedication for a company than at this event.

Grafton Village Cheese is proud to be part of two wonderful communities (Grafton and Brattleboro). It is events like Strolling of the Heifers that allow us to share that pride.