Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals: Latest Update! 

We are excited to announce that applications for the ACS Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals will be available on Friday, September 23rd on the ACS website.  

Before you apply to take the exam, check out the Exam Handbook (to be posted online next week). The Handbook will provide important information including eligibility requirements, fees, and exam prep tips. The exam writers have been busy developing questions for the exam, which will be given in 2012 -- right before the ACS Conference in Raleigh, NC.

Can you Haiku? Enter to Win a Pair of Tickets to the Great American Beer Festival! 

What is that I smell?
Nectar of the gods, or cheese?
No real difference.

I cannot decide
between blue, brie, or gouda -
so I eat them all.

DMI Invites ACS Members to Communication Training in America's Heartland

Dairy Management, Inc. (DMI), the national dairy promotion organization, will hold its next full-scale crisis drill and communications workshop in Kansas City on Nov. 30-Dec. 1.   

This workshop brings together cheese industry members from across the Midwest. ACS staffers Nora Weiser and Michelle Lee attended the most recent drill in Denver and agreed that it is a valuable, hands-on educational experience that can benefit ACS members.   

Attendees will be challenged to think quickly, practice media interviews and take advantage of industry resources as they work in teams to respond to a region-wide animal disease incident that touches every corner of the dairy community.

The Midwest Region Drill will take place Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at the Hilton Kansas City Airport. There is no charge to attend but space is limited, so register NOW!  

• 4 small to medium potatoes
• 2 medium zucchini, yellow or patty pan squash
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 - 5 ounces ricotta
• salt & freshly ground pepper to taste 
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or gruyere
• 1 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400�F. 

Use a mandoline or chef's knife to slice the potatoes and squash into very thin slices, 1/8-inch or less. Toss the sliced vegetables with the olive oil in a large bowl...(continue reading the full recipe here). 

Shorter days and cooler breezes herald the coming of fall, and many exciting things are on tap at ACS!

From the upcoming Great American Beer Fest which kicks off American Cheese Month to the ongoing progress on the Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals -- applications will go live later this month and about a third of the exam questions have already been completed -- there is much to celebrate in our organizational harvest this year!

I hope you'll take a minute to visit our sweet new microsite promoting events and happenings for American Cheese Month! Our press release is available for download, along with signage and other goodies you can use to promote your American Cheese Month events.

Follow us on Facebook to keep up with the latest events, and don't forget to shout out about what you're cooking up to celebrate American cheese! Don't forget to consider a donation to the American Cheese Education Foundation to support Certification and ongoing ACS educational initiatives.

Even as we celebrate big strides for our organization, I have been reminded many times this past month of the vagaries of mother nature and the dedication, perseverance, and grace shown in the wake of natural disasters.

My thoughts have been with those impacted by historic flooding in Vermont, New York, and elsewhere in the east, and with those in Texas enduring drought and fire.  I hope that recovery comes quickly to communities and members who have been affected. 

Peace, Love and Cheese,

Christine Hyatt

ACS President

A Year of Firsts  

Earlier this year, ACS offered its first ever Winter Workshop series of online educational webinars for cheesemakers -- free to members. Last month, ACS held its first ever Annual Conference & Competition on foreign soil, where 1,676 cheeses competed and 766 industry professionals learned and networked. This October, ACS launches the first American Cheese Month -- which has been officially proclaimed by Colorado's governor, John Hickenlooper. This annual celebration of America's cheese community honors those who make great cheese and all those who benefit from their efforts.  

At restaurants, cheese shops, farms, dairies, production facilities, grocery stores, public events, markets, breweries, wineries, and just in the homes of cheese lovers, American Cheese Month will take many forms. We are excited about how much energy and momentum has already been created by bringing together a group of like-minded cheese lovers. Visit www.americancheesemonth.org to learn more and see what's going on around the country.

ACS is also continuing to move forward with another first -- the industry's first ever Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals. This ambitious undertaking is seven years in the making, and has called upon the time and talents of countless volunteers and staff. It also calls upon funding, as the investment to get the exam up and running is substantial. If you haven't already made a tax deductible contribution to the American Cheese Education Foundation in support of certification, I hope you will do so today. If you'd like a more visible way to show your support of the program, I hope you might consider sponsorship. And, soon ACS will be in touch with information on how to apply for and register to take the exam at our 2012 Annual Conference in Raleigh.

Sincerely,

Nora Weiser

Executive Director

American Cheese Month is Here!  

American Cheese Month is right around the corner, and ACS is excited to launch its new American Cheese Month microsite to help you make the most of it. Visit www.americancheesemonth.org and explore the events calendar, plus find tools and tips to inspire you to hold your own events this October.

When you visit the site, we hope you'll: 

• Find events near you on the Events Calendar 

• Post your own events to the calendar

• Download and share the American Cheese Month press release 

• Check out the Official Proclamation from Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper declaring October as American Cheese Month   

• Download the American Cheese Month logo for use in your own materials

• Buy American Cheese Month pins and stickers    

• Find winning cheeses from past ACS Competitions   

• Get tips for buying, storing, cooking with, and serving cheese 

...and don't forget to follow the new American Cheese Month Facebook page and tweet along with ACS in October using hashtag #AmCheeseMonth!

Some Highlights: American Cheese Month 2011 

When exploring the new American Cheese Month website, we hope you'll check out the Event Calendar to find events in your region. You can search by date, event type, and state/province -- or you can go directly to a dynamic map of your state or province to see what's happening nearby.  

Just a few highlights from the many great events on the calendar include: 

• Passport to American Cheese Month: Purchase a "passport" at a participating retailer, and receive major discounts on 31 artisan cheeses in 31 days: in New York and Seattle. Proceeds from passport sales support the American Cheese Education Foundation.

•  Cheese class series at Elsewhere restaurant in New York City 
• American Favorites with Anne Saxelby of Saxelby Cheese
• Washington County Cheese with 3-Corner Field Farm and Consider Bardwell Farm
• Cheeses from The Cellars at Jasper Hill 
• Raclette with Spring Brook Farm of Vermont  

• Housemade roasted garlic fromage blanc on the menu at Panzano Italian Restaurant & Lounge in Denver, CO throughout the month of October 

• A series of special cheese classes and tastings at Shubie's Marketplace in Marblehead, MA 

• The Wedge: Portland Celebrates Cheese Festival in Portland, OR

• Cowgirl Creamery and 34-Degrees Tasting at Sickles Market in Little Silver, NJ (look for a full listing of events at Sickles Market here).

• Third Annual Wisconsin Originals Cheese Festival in Madison, WI

• Beer and Cheese Pairing with Great Divide Brewery at the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, CO 

If you haven't added your own events to the calendar yet, submit them today!

Words from 2011 Scholarship Recipients 

This year's conference scholarship recipients were asked to write short essays about their experiences in Montr�al. Comments from recipients included:

"The ROI of these adventures to the ACS conferences has always been absolutely fantastic...I am grateful and humble to have been chosen as a recipient of the scholarship and I am looking forward to Raleigh."   

-Julia Powers, The Traveling Cheesemonger, Tacoma, WA  

"I learned a lot from my peers about cheese cultures, tasting cheese, and many cheese related issues. The knowledge I brought back to the US with me is priceless. It's not very often I get to co-conspire with that many people in my field, so it was fun meeting new cheese makers/mongers/marketers who all share the same passion that I do. Through all the sessions, tours, cheese festivals and parties, I feel as though I've gained a lot from visiting Montr�al. Again I give a huge thank you to the American Cheese Society for this life changing event..." 

-Bob Koenig, Carr Valley Cheese Co., Wisconsin  

Click the links below to download full essays from the 2011 scholarship recipients: 

• Leslie Cooperband 
• Seana Doughty 
• Laura Heifetz 
• Lindsay Klaunig 
• Bob Koenig 
• Jess Perrie 
• Julia Powers 
• Meg Schader 
• Charuth Van Beuzekom Loth 

If you would like to support the scholarship fund for the 2012 ACS Conference & Competition in Raleigh, NC, please visit the American Cheese Education Foundation website to make a tax-deductible gift. Thank you for your support!

ACS Heads to the Great American Beer Festival 

The first annual American Cheese Month kicks off at the 30th Annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, CO.  

From September 29-October 1, the ACS team will sample cheese to nearly 50,000 craft beer- and cheese-loving attendees. Look for the ACS booth at the "Support Your Local Brewery Pavilion."  

ACS is also pleased to participate in two special events at GABF:  

• Executive Director Nora Weiser and Board member Jill Giacomini Basch will speak about artisan cheese at the Brewers Association's Media Luncheon on Friday, September 30. ACS will offer a special cheese plate paired with beers for the 150 members of the food media in attendance.

• On Saturday, October 1, ACS will offer a beer and cheese pairing class at GABF, led by Michael Landis of ANCO Fine Cheese. Michael will pair five cheeses from ACS producers with five American craft beers. This session is free and open to GABF attendees on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Send Cheese to GABF: If you haven't signed up to have your cheese featured at GABF, there's still time! Contact Rebecca Orozco via email by September 20 for more information. 

Youth Tees Available from ACS in Montr�al  

A limited number of youth t-shirts from the ACS Conference in Montr�al are now available for sale. The shirts are available in Youth Medium and Youth Large sizes. 

The shirts are bright orange in color, and sport the 2011 Conference logo on the front, with an illustrated mouse saying "fromage" on the back. 

Place your order soon, as the shirts will sell out quickly! 

• Order Youth Medium ($16 each) 
•  Order Youth Large ($16 each)