Being a silly person, oblivious to reality, I fell under the impression that cheddar was a type of cheese, which, in turn, is specially prepared curdled dairy product. However, my eyes were opened when I saw a bag of multigrain snacks that were "harvest cheddar" flavored. Cheese is not something that my ignorant mind could associate with a harvest. I know I'm old-fashioned in my way of thinking that a harvest is the reaping of what has been sown, but somehow this new, mysterious definition includes cheddar. I decided to investigate.
A cheddar bale.
Cheddar harvests have long been a core tradition in the farming community, dating back to the Middle Ages. Each spring, the vast cheddar fields are plowed and planted with the sweet cheddar seed, sometimes used, when crushed, as a paste for crackers or rolls. Then, as late August approaches, the farmers go along the rows of cheddar stalks, shaking them so that the seeds fall from their tough casing. Then, other farmers will go out and roll a large dowel on the ground. The dowel is coated with crushed cheddar seed, making a slight adhesive. It is in this way that the farmers can create such large cheddar rolls, for as they roll the dowel, it collects more and more cheddar seeds, and the weight of the wheel it creates crushes the seeds, making more adhesive, and the process continues. The large wheels are then covered in cloth, sometimes plastic, and are then prepared for market or government distribution.
I know I'm probably just giving away obvious information, but I just wanted to share with the world my personal discovery. Everyone should be on a quest to advance their knowledge, and this should be a fine example of the reason why.