A Washington County Farm’s Cheese Featured In Recent ‘SNL’ Sketch; Cool Connection Between Show And Maine

Washington County,  Maine, or at least some local cheese made there, got a taste of the spotlight this past weekend, when the iconic Saturday Night Live highlighted the Downeast dairy delight in a sketch entitled 'Free Samples', featuring comedic actress Melissa McCarthy. But that might have been more than just a coincidence, according to the Machias, Maine Facebook page. They claim there was a definite reason why this particular cheese, from this particular farm, was used.

"Anyone watching the 'cheese sample' skit on SNL from this weekend (featuring Melissa McCarthy & Jeremy Culhane) might have picked up on the Rocky Lake Raclette cheese sign, and your interest might have been piqued when the actor said it was from Maine. Well, it IS a real cheese, and it really is made locally, crafted at Josh Pond Farm in Whiting. In case you don't know the connection, this farm has been owned by SNL producer Lorne Michaels since 2009.

According to Downeast.com, Michaels first purchased approximately 25 acres in the town of Whiting, along with the Josh Pond Farm, to protect the land from development and to help boost the local economy.

Read More: Remember These Iconic 'Saturday Night Live' Sketches About Maine?

Later, he expanded the operation, quadrupling its size of the operation. While the farm's main staple is organic blueberries, it's also developed quite a reputation, locally, for its delicious cheeses.

"The more he learned about organic farming and the local agricultural economy, the more Michaels wanted to support the industry, so he started his own wild blueberry farm... He currently has about 100 acres being managed by experienced organic growers. The farm ships both fresh and frozen organic wild blueberries and other organic products direct to consumers and through Amazon."

Those who caught the sketch and the connection seemed delighted and shared their reactions and amusement in the comment section of the Facebook post.

"It was hilarious! I love Melissa McCarthy AND Josh Pond cheeses!" said one person.

"Hilarious skit + amazing self-promotion by Lorne!!" said another.

An individual even asked if the cheese featured in the show could be purchased anywhere locally, to which the farm responded, Yes...but not right now.

"Our Raclette wheels still need a few more months of aging, but we currently sell our other varieties at Machias Marketplace, Machias River General, and Columbia Falls General Store!"

Read More: 8 Hilarious ‘Saturday Night Live’ Skits That Feature New England

You can check out the sketch below to see for yourself.