Wheels In Motion: One Year Later
Following Up With Cheesemaker, Liz Bleakley
When chronic pain and weakness in her arm put Liz Bleakley’s dreams of becoming an artisanal cheesemaker at risk last year, she came to Cioffredi & Associates. We last checked in June 2023 as she graduated PT (Read her story “In Good Hands” here), functional and strong once again, optimistic about making her first cheese, and opening her new farmstand.
“I am so glad I met such a competent and compassionate team of physical therapists who gave me hope and gave me my function back.”
Now, one year later, she has hand-made thousands of pounds of raw-milk cheese wheels, all scooped, formed, brushed, washed, turned, and wrapped by hand, and is growing the operation, with her products now available in stores around the Upper Valley and a new geothermal cheese aging cave in the works…
“I’m doing great! I’m really excited to start taking care of my cheese in my own cave… I’ve come a long way thanks to my work with the Cioffredi physical therapists. I rarely have chronic pain and I’m aware of specific actions with my body that I shouldn’t do. I’ve learned to be careful about excessive repetitive motions and I have stretching exercises to lean on. I know that if I have a flare up, they are there for me with dry needling, which I found super helpful.”
“Cheese is such a unique experience-every one is different and it’s fun to add to the amazing regional variety we have here while also doing work that supports a small dairy farm with regenerative practices.”
Find Liz’s raw-milk Good Hands Creamery cheeses at her unmissable, yellow farmstand in Windsor, VT as well as the Upper Valley Food Coop, the Coop Food Stores (Hanover), Brownsville Butcher and Pantry, and locations throughout New England.
This article first appeared in the July 2024 Cioffredi & Associates Newsletter:
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Learn more about the Cioffredi & Associates Orthopedic Physical Therapy Service:
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