A Chinese proverb admonishes, "May you live in interesting times." No matter how one might interpret such a statement, it certainly seems to apply to our industry during these last years and months. So much growth, accomplishment, and dynamic change. Cheese is certainly getting its fair share of ink these days and there is much for us to pay attention to!

We started the month by proudly announcing the names of those who passed our first Certified Cheese Professional™ Exam. Many thanks to those brave inaugural participants who worked so hard and who proved how deep our collective industry knowledge is. Thanks to all who worked on the exam and to those who will take it onward and upward to Madison, Wisconsin, where our second exam will be administered in 2013!

Hopefully you and your business are preparing to participate in the 2nd Annual American Cheese Month with events, special features, communications, and even the American Cheese Month Passport Program, all celebrating the center of our universe: skillfully produced American cheeses and the tireless folks who make them. The brainchild of my predecessor and current ACS Board Chair, Christine Hyatt, American Cheese Month was a rousing success last year and promises to be widely celebrated from sea-to-shining-sea!  

Partnering with the Brewers Association, ACS is once again making a big splash by kicking off American Cheese Month at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Our member cheesemakers can send cheeses for ACS to sample and promote to nearly 50,000 attendees! Check out our website for more details.  

In another reminder of the "interesting times" we live in, the topic of food safety is pervasive in the media, and we are seeing an increase in regulatory activity, as was indicated in some of our educational sessions in Raleigh. For this reason, there is no time like the present to encourage our members to bolster their food safety plans and prepare for regulatory visits throughout the supply chain. I also wish to reiterate ACS's commitment to encouraging our members to produce the highest quality cheese and hold ourselves to the highest standards. As such, ACS will continue to serve as a resource and provide stepped-up education, information, and advocacy to serve our members and, ultimately, American cheese consumers. Let us know how ACS can assist you, and also please generously share any food safety insights and suggestions that might benefit your fellow members!

Here's to a wonderful celebration of delicious, high-quality American cheese in October and all year long. "Interesting times" indeed!

Have a great American Cheese Month,

Greg O'Neill

ACS President 

October is almost here, and that means one thing: American Cheese Month. With the launch of American Cheese Month last year, over 100 events were held in more than 50 cities around the country. I hope that the second annual event this year will generate even more excitement and participation. One easy way to get involved is to take part in the American Cheese Month Passport Program.  We've made it easy by providing retailers with all the materials they need electronically, free and ready to print.  

Of course, if you're feeling creative, there are any number of ways to celebrate great American cheeses in October -- farm tours, tastings, special events, focused restaurant menus, in-store discounts -- the sky's the limit. Make sure to let ACS know which activities you have planned, so that we can include them in our web and social media updates! Looking for ideas? ACS has suggestions for all sectors of our membership to get you started!     

To make American Cheese Month matter even more, I hope you will consider donating a portion of the proceeds from any event you hold in October to the American Cheese Education (ACE) Foundation. The ACE Foundation supports educational programming for ACS members, funds scholarships that allow cheesemakers to attend our annual conference, and even helped make the Certified Cheese Professional Exam™ (CCP) a reality this year!  

And, speaking of CCPs, my congratulations go out to our first class of ACS CCPs™  who passed the exam in Raleigh last month. Their knowledge and expertise elevate the cheese industry, and there is no better time to recognize their accomplishments than American Cheese Month. Kudos!

Sincerely,

Nora Weiser

ACS Executive Director  

Add Your October Events to the American Cheese Month Event Calendar  

Adding your events is easy: simply click here to post them online. If you're holding events for any audience, we encourage you to add them to the calendar!

Passport Program Grows to Include Retailers in 9 States; It's Not Too Late to Sign Your Business Up! 

This October, cheese retailers around the country are participating in the American Cheese Month Passport Program. Founded in 2011 with a group of 12 retailers based in New York City and Seattle, the program has expanded in 2012 to include 17 retailers and one restaurant in 9 states.

 

Designed to generate consumer enthusiasm for American cheeses, the program invites customers to purchase an American Cheese Month Passport for $10. The passport provides a special discount (ranging from 20-40% off) on a designated "Cheese of the Day" from October 1-31 at all participating businesses. Discounts and cheeses vary by location. 100% of revenue from passport sales will benefit the nonprofit American Cheese Education Foundation -- raising money for cheesemaker education and conference scholarships.

 

Participating passport locations, as of September 16, are:

• Artisanal Fromagerie and Bistro (New York, NY) 
• Beecher's Handmade Cheese (New York, NY) 
• The Better Cheddar (Prairie Village, KS) 
• Brooklyn Victory Garden (Brooklyn, NY) 
• Butcher Block Meats & Cheese (Oshkosh, WI) 
• The Calf & Kid (Seattle, WA) 
• Casellula Cheese & Wine Cafe (New York, NY) 
• The Cheese Cave (Red Bank, NJ) 
• The Cheese Shop (Aspen, CO) 
• Cheese Louise (Richland, WA) 
• Eastern District (Brooklyn, NY) 
• Fairfield Cheese Company (Fairfield, CT) 
• Lucy's Whey (New York, NY) 
• Marion Street Cheese Market (Oak Park, IL) 
• Murray's Cheese (2 locations in New York, NY)) 
• Scardello (Dallas, TX) 
• Standard Market (Westmont, IL) 
• Wedge & Bottle (Phoenix, AZ) 

There is no cost for businesses to participate, and it's not too late to sign up! If you're a cheese retailer, simply sign up online, and we'll email a printable passport template and signage for your store within 3 business days.  

 

News from the Judging & Competition Committee:

Gearing Up for 2013 

When I got back to my home in Portland, Oregon and settled back into life in the Pacific Northwest, "How was the conference and the cheese judging?" was the question most often asked by cheese professionals and enthusiasts. The answer was easy for me to give. All of it was fantastic. The conference had informative content, the city of Raleigh welcomed us with open arms, and the Festival along with the Cheese Sale had great turnouts.

The Judging & Competition, where I put the core of my volunteer time, was recognized as one of the smoothest yet. While this allows all of us on the J&C committee to take pride in our achievements for 2012, it also tends to make us a little nervous. When a bar is set, we all want to match or exceed it the next time around.

Our committee, just like many others in the body of ACS, has already kicked off this late summer season with conference calls and plans for sight visits to our next venue. We get out the tape measures and digital cameras to make sure the space works at the truck docks, the judging rooms, and anywhere in-between. If the logistics don't work, then we'll start figuring out fixes early to see that they do.

This is also the time of year to digest feedback from both judges and cheesemakers along with ACS members to see if improvements are needed for the next year. It turns out, when it comes to holding a competition, there is always more room for improvement. As with the all of the ACS Conference & Competition, feedback is essential.

I, and the other J&C Committee members, arrive an entire week before the conference itself gets underway. An on-time and organized receiving is essential to get things off to a good start. One of the challenges we face every year is pulling together enough extra volunteers during this early stage. We are sending out a very early Save the Date for the 2013 Conference & Competition in Madison, Wisconsin. Remember that cheesemakers can now volunteer for many of the tasks involved with the Judging & Competition. We thank you in advance, if you say yes to helping out this hard-working group that loves cheese.

We will keep you posted in the months to come with any Judging & Competition news and updates for 2013.

Tom Kooiman 

ACS Judging & Competition Committee Vice Chair