1st Annual American Cheese Month Comes to a Successful Close

The first American Cheese Month was a wonderful, collective effort by the American cheese community in support of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheesemakers and their products, with funds raised for the American Cheese Education Foundation.

While proceeds are still being tallied, we're thrilled that more than 100 cheese-centric events took place in 50 cities!  

See photos of American Cheese Month events from ACS members below, and email ACS your photos:

• American Cheese Month Photo Album  

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of this first annual celebration. We are eager to build on this year's successes in the future. If you would like to get involved with the planning group for American Cheese Month 2012, please email ACS.

"Wine vs Beer Cheese Pairing" at Le Grand in Denver, CO

2012 Scholarships - Apply Today 

Applications for cheesemaker, chef, student, and retailer scholarships to the 2012 ACS Conference & Competition are now being accepted! We encourage you to apply soon: applications are due March 31.

-Cheesemaker Scholarship Application 

-Student Scholarship Application

-Chef Scholarship Application

 -John Crompton Memorial Scholarship for Retailers 

November brings gratitude front and center as we approach Thanksgiving. It is a time of giving thanks for the harvest, and celebrating the hard work and energy that have gone into this season of growth and maturation. 

Cheesemongers' shelves are piled high with the bounty of cheesemakers' efforts, and an eager public is lining up to share the goodness with friends and family on holiday tables and celebrations through the new year. I am grateful to be a part of an industry that works together to improve the quality and craft of our food system, and to be the beneficiary of such an array of incredible cheeses.

I am particularly excited about the harvest ACS is reaping this year, as we celebrate a successful conference in Montréal, an inaugural American Cheese Month that exceeded expectations, and the launch of registration for the Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals. It has been a remarkable season of growth.

In mid-October, the Board met in our 2012 host city of Raleigh, NC for the fall board and planning meeting. We were treated to warm southern hospitality and a large dose of eat-local, farm-to-market sensibility. We visited the campus of NC State University, and had a chance to see first-hand the world-class facility run by one of the conference co-chairs, Dr. MaryAnn Drake.  

The theme for the 2012 conference is 'Cheese Rally in Raleigh: Owning our Future.' A rally is defined as: 'to come together for a common purpose' and this next conference will celebrate the spirit of joining together to chart the course of our organization and industry into the future. I hope you will make plans to attend what promises to be an incredible four days of education, camaraderie, and great cheese!

Peace, Love and Cheese, 

Christine Hyatt

ACS President

ACS Gives Thanks to You

November is a traditional time to give thanks. So, it is the perfect time for me to thank the entire ACS community for its commitment to artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheese. Our membership is growing. If you have already renewed your membership for 2012, thank you. If not, I hope you will renew by December 31 so you can continue to enjoy the benefits of membership without interruption.  

Each ACS member is an important building block adding strength to our industry, and creating the foundation that allows us to build an association reflective of our membership and responsive to your needs. Many members deserve gratitude for giving generously of their time, expertise, financial support, and energy. Despite your hectic schedules, competing demands, and tight budgets, you find ways to make ACS better. This generosity makes a difference for all of our members, and has a profound, positive impact on the industry.  

I am also thankful for the creativity and enthusiasm with which ACS members embrace new ideas. American Cheese Month was a success thanks to your efforts and events. Slots for our Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals are filling fast thanks to your demand for professional growth. Our annual Judging & Competition is growing because of your on-going creation of delicious new cheeses. And, through your generous product donations, you are helping us market on your behalf and grow consumer awareness of great American cheeses at events like the Great American Beer Festival, Savor, and the National Wine Experience. Tell us what you're thankful for in the world of cheese by posting to our Facebook page. 

Happy Thanksgiving,

Nora Weiser

Executive Director 

Apply for the Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals - Spaces are Filling Quickly!

Based on the number of applications that are rolling in for the first Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals (CECP), ACS expects more than half of the available spaces to be filled this month. If you are interested in taking the exam, complete the application now to secure your spot!  

The exam will be administered in Raleigh, NC on August 1, 2012, immediately prior to the ACS Conference & Competition. Read our monthly Certification Newsletter for the latest updates and tips for Certification candidates, or contact the ACS office at 720-328-2788 with any questions about the exam. 

It's Time to Renew Your Membership

American Cheese Month has just wrapped up, the leaves are falling, the holidays are just around the corner, and it's time to renew your annual ACS membership!   

By now, you should have received a renewal notice via email. If you did not receive it, look for an email reminder in your inbox tomorrow -- or find renewal instructions online. All memberships are now structured on an annual calendar year cycle; we encourage you to take full advantage of your investment and renew by December 31.   

When you renew, you'll ensure that you receive important updates on timely industry issues, your monthly CheeseBytes e-newsletter, discounts on products and services, and access to exclusive members-only resources on our website. Also, mark your calendars! Members are eligible to attend the ACS Conference in Raleigh, NC, can enter products into our annual Judging & Competition, and receive discounted member pricing to sit for the inaugural Certification Exam for Cheese Professionals.

We hope you will remain a part of our vibrant and growing cheese community by renewing your membership today.

ACS Visits Raleigh & Madison

Members of the ACS staff and Board of Directors recently met in Raleigh, NC -- the site of the 2012 ACS Conference & Competition. Along with co-chairs Dick Roe and Dr. MaryAnn Drake, they toured the Raleigh Convention Center, NC State University Creamery, Chapel Hill Creamery, and A Southern Season in neighboring Chapel Hill. They met with the store's cheesemonger Alexander Kast, and experienced what Craig Claiborne once famously described as "wall to wall and floor to ceiling, a visual and gustatory delight." ACS members are sure to receive a warm and delicious welcome to North Carolina next August!

ACS staffer Michelle Lee with Alexander Kast, cheesemonger at A Southern Season

Just a few weeks after visiting Raleigh, ACS Executive Director Nora Weiser attended the Third Annual Wisconsin Original Cheese Festival. The Festival was a sell-out with nearly 1,000 attendees enjoying the unique opportunity to meet the current generation of Wisconsin cheesemakers.  

Check out photos from both visits below!

• Album: ACS in Raleigh, NC 
• Album: ACS in Madison, WI 

Judging & Competition Heads to Raleigh

As we head into the holiday season and start to busy ourselves with all things festive and jolly, the Judging & Competition Committee is working almost as hard as elves preparing for the 2012 Conference and Competition in Raleigh, NC. On October 20th, Nora Weiser, Michelle Lee, David Grotenstein, and I visited the Raleigh Convention Center, where the 2012 events will take place. Our first stop was Big Ed's, a local favorite -- be sure to try their famous pancakes and warm, homemade biscuits.    

After breakfast, we headed to the Raleigh Convention Center to walk the path your cheeses will take as they travel through the competition. We started at the loading docks, where three bays have been reserved to store the more than 15,000 lbs of cheese expected at this year's Conference & Competition. These docks are directly adjacent to the area where we will begin opening and sorting your cheese on July 26.

Where Montréal had an abundance of architecture and history, Raleigh has southern hospitality and charm. Smaller than the Palais des Congrès in Montréal, the Raleigh Convention Center offers a more consolidated space and ease of flow for our Competition, from the receiving area to the judging room.

Our visit helped us visualize the process and challenges that may arise during this year's Competition. After last year's record number of 1,676 entries from 258 different companies, the ACS Judging & Competition Committee is excited and ready for another record Judging & Competition. We look forward to seeing y'all in Raleigh!

All the best,

Todd Druhot

Judging & Competition Chair