Excitement is building for ACS's 2010 Conference & Competition in Seattle, WA, August 25-28.  We are delighted to have heard from members already eager to register.

Registration at the Early Bird rate of $450 opens May 21st.  You'll be able to register online or download an application to send in via fax or mail.  Either way, you'll want to register before July 2nd to lock in the best price and have the best selection of sessions.  Look for a special email announcement when registration is up and running.  See you in Seattle!

Planning to enter your cheese in our prestigious Judging & Competition?  Online and downloadable entry forms will be available May 28th.

Members, what's new? Do you have a new product, a new job, a new store, a new book? Send your news--and photos if available--to ACS Member Milestones to let other ACS members know of your professional achievements.

Dear Members,

It has been a busy month.  It is hard to believe forty days have passed since the American Cheese Society became a self-managed association.  The process to self management has been seamless under the direction of Nora Weiser, Executive Director, and team members Michelle Lee and Lara Therrien.  They have been busy establishing and organizing our headquarters, working with ACS committees, and assisting our conference co-chairs Sasha Davies and Kurt Dammeier in building our finest conference to date.

Sasha, Kurt, and numerous additional volunteers are putting the finishing touches on a conference program that is shaping up to be our best ever. The 2010 Seattle conference will provide experiences that include hands on cheesemaking opportunities, sensory cheese tasting, thought-provoking presentations on the local and global cheese and food movements and updates on federal regulatory food guidelines, to name a few. Seattle is a great city and there will be many fun networking and social opportunities in the city's fantastic venues.   

One of many goals for ACS this year was to have a presence in regional cheese festivals, and particularly to align ourselves with cheesemakers and industry leaders to help increase awareness of American cheese and of ACS.  Our thought was to achieve this by building industry alliances.  To this end, I was invited to and attended events in France, Canada, California and Oregon.  I participated in educational sessions covering regional cheese issues, tastings and marketing to consumers. 

Most recently, I attended the Ontario Cheese Society's (OCS) annual meeting.  Highlights were a Cider and Canadian Cheese Tour by Julie Rogers and a session presented by Kathy Guidi entitled "Preserving the Canadian Cheese Culture".  This was combined with a documentary, "The Monks' Secret", portraying cheesemaking at the Monastery of Notre Dame des Prairies, in Manitoba. During the OCS's annual business meeting its members voted to become a national Canadian association. I was invited to share ACS's history, organizational structure, benefits, committee structure and strategic initiatives, as well as ideas on how ACS could collaborate with the OCS. Christine Hyatt, Cheese-Chick, and ACS Vice President, created a three-minute retrospective video showcasing interviews with Paul Kinstedt and Ricki Carroll that emphasize the history of grass roots passion and leadership of ACS members in North America.  ACS received a half dozen membership applications from Ontario cheese makers, educators, and retailers.  Further alliances were built and new members joined ACS from Canada this month as Joan Kimball and John Eggena attended SIAL, a biannual food show in Montreal.

Watch for further updates on this year's stellar annual conference "Cheese-a-Topia" and our prestigious Judging and Competition in the coming weeks.  Those of you with a keen eye may have noticed we have changed the name of this newsletter to CheeseBytes. CheeseWire is now exclusively the name of our social networking venture which we highly recommend you check out, create a profile and begin your interaction with fellow members near and far.

This is your association,
David Gremmels
President

At ACS these days, we tend to emphasize the changes taking place within the association.  I feel that what is taking place is not so much change, as a refocusing on the core values of our members and our industry. That is why I am so excited about this year's Annual Conference & Competition in Seattle.  2010 will be the year that ACS members can truly see how far they have come in the past few decades and where they can go in the decades to come.  It will also be, as it has always been, a celebration of the cheese and the people that define the industry.

With a rich history that started with the simple idea of bringing cheesemakers together, ACS has evolved alongside its members to become a key resource that reflects the industry's growth and maturity.  I hope to see all of you in Seattle, and know that the programming, networking, and events will be invaluable to you and your business. 

There are very few chances to step outside of your daily routine and expand your point of view, and the ACS Annual Conference is the best way to do just that.  The combination of learning, laughing, and sharing provided in Seattle will allow you to refocus on your core values, just as ACS is refocusing on ours.

If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you .

Sincerely,
Nora Weiser
Executive Director
nweiser@cheesesociety.org