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Enjoy Special Deals on Cheese with an #AmCheeseMonth Passport!
Participating retailers are selling American Cheese Month passports for $10 this month, so that customers can enjoy discounts and specials on featured American cheeses! All proceeds from passport sales support the American Cheese Education Foundation's efforts to further educational opportunities for all those interested in producing, marketing, selling, and appreciating America's artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheeses.
If you're a retailer interested in participating in the program, it's not too late: sign up today and you'll have your passport materials within 2-3 days!
This week, we're pleased to highlight two businesses participating in 2015: Pick up a passport at Antonelli's Cheese Shop (Austin, TX) or Surfas Culinary District (Costa Mesa, CA). We'll announce more participating retailers on Facebook and Twitter throughout the month!
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Who We Are...MATTERS
 The American Cheese Education Foundation is funding a major industry survey in 2016, and we need your support. Help fund this important initiative -- because you matter, we matter, and CHEESE MATTERS! Contact ACS to learn more about how you can support this initiative, and please consider giving generously at:
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ACS Cheese Camp Sessions Available for Download
Recordings of educational sessions from ACS Cheese Camp are available to view online through ACS Education On-Demand! These session recordings are available to ACS Cheese Camp attendees at no cost, as an exclusive complimentary attendee benefit. Individuals who registered for a Day Pass will have access to sessions from the day they attended (additional sessions are available for purchase). Those who did not attend the Conference can still purchase sessions, with ACS members receiving a discounted rate. Members received an email with their unique login credentials to access these recordings. Log in to download your recordings!
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ACS Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers
The first five chapters of the ACS Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers are now posted in the "Member Resources" section of the ACS website, ready for your comments. The Guide is a work in progress, to be updated, improved, and amended with the input of ACS members. As a unique community, we have the opportunity, and the obligation, to protect what we do and how we do it. Please take the time to read the Best Practices Guide and share your insights and expertise. You will enhance not only the Guide, but also the standing of the industry. Thank you!
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Letter from the President
Happy American Cheese Month! We're proud that this annual, grassroots celebration of the delicious cheeses made by American producers has grown each year since its inception in 2011, and we can't wait to see what you have in store this month. Share your celebrations with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and remember to keep American producers and the nonprofit American Cheese Education (ACE) Foundation top-of-mind as we enter the busy holiday season.
Later this month, the ACS Conference Program Group will meet in Des Moines to develop the program for "Cheese in the Heartland" -- the 2016 ACS Conference & Competition. They'll review nearly 70 session proposals that were submitted by you, members of the American cheese community. This level of engagement and interest is what makes the ACS Conference such a powerful gathering for our industry each year. Mark your calendar for July 27-30, 2016, and please plan to join us in Iowa.
I was extremely lucky to attend Cheese 2015 in September, Slow Food's biennial celebration of cheese that takes place in Bra, Italy. There was a booth representing American artisan cheesemakers, including sales of cheese to curious attendees from around the world. The response was overwhelming. ACS was also represented in the booth by Nora Weiser and myself, with pictures and information about our mission and purpose. Carlo Petrini visited the booth and envisioned twenty or more cheesemakers there in 2017! Anybody interested? This quote from Sig. Petrini seems apropos given some of the louder conversations in the cheese community this year:
"Food history is as important as a baroque church. Governments should recognize cultural heritage and protect traditional foods. A cheese is as worthy of preserving as a sixteenth-century building." -Carlo Petrini
And this quote serves as a response to "why are you here?", which we heard often:
"Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in." -Frances Moore Lapp�, author of Diet for a Small Planet
Lastly, as we head into the fourth (and often busiest!) quarter of the year, don't forget that your ACS membership will be up for renewal on December 31. You'll receive renewal information in the coming weeks, and if you haven't taken full advantage of the benefits your membership offers -- or if you simply aren't sure what those benefits are -- I encourage you to join ACS for a special webinar on Wednesday, October 7 geared toward helping you make the most of your investment.
I hope you'll enjoy all that this autumn season and American Cheese Month have to offer...and if you find yourself at the Atlanta Cheese Festival in just a few days, be sure to look for me and say hello. I'd love to see you there!
Dick Roe
President
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October is American Cheese Month
October comes, and reminds us to
Celebrate the
Traditions of American cheesemaking.
October comes, and we
Bring our attention to American cheesemakers'
Energy, vitality, creativity, and
Rigorous pursuit of great cheese.
Happy #AmCheeseMonth!
Sincerely,
Nora Weiser Executive Director
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Celebrate the Fifth Annual American Cheese Month
It's American Cheese Month, and we hope you'll join us in celebrating North America's delicious and diverse cheeses, and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, cheesemongers, and chefs who bring them to the table. The American Cheese Month calendar is beginning to fill up with events, and we look forward to seeing what you have planned this month!
Looking for inspiration and ideas for your own celebration? 
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FDA Request for Comments on Raw Milk Cheese
FDA recently announced a request for "comments from the public, including scientific data and information, that would assist the agency in identifying and evaluating measures that might minimize the impact of harmful bacteria in cheeses made from unpasteurized milk." This is an important opportunity for ACS and its members to share data and concerns with FDA by posting comments to the Federal Register. It is imperative that information is shared to help FDA better understand the safe practices and safe results of raw milk cheese producers. There's no better time than American Cheese Month to provide comments to help back up ACS's position on the Safety of Raw Milk Cheese, and to help protect raw milk cheese production in the United States. The deadline to submit your comments is November 2, 2015.
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Collect Cheese Charms & Support the ACE Foundation
The American Cheese Education (ACE) Foundation is embarking on a fundraising campaign to support critical cheese industry research, and your contributions will go a long way toward making this possible. Show your American Cheese Month pride while supporting the ACE Foundation with these adorable cheese charms! Charms can be purchased individually or as a set. All sales support the ACE Foundation.
To purchase your charms, contact the ACS office at 720-328-2788 or email [email protected] and designate the styles (#1-6) that you wish to purchase.
- Single charm: $10
- Set of Six Charms on Woven Lanyard Bracelet: $50
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Calling all Cheesemongers! Apply for the Prestigious Role of ACS Official Conference Cheesemonger
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| | 2015 ACS OCCs: Janee' Muha, James Gentry, and Erin Clancy |
Are you ready to test your mettle and skills as the next Official Conference Cheesemonger? Join the elite group of cheese professionals who have taken on this challenging yet rewarding role, and receive all of the benefits this position offers.
2016 Official Conference Cheesemonges are eligible for roundtrip airfare to Des Moines; seven nights at the ACS Conference hotel; free registration for the 2017 Conference (you'll be too busy to attend sessions in Des Moines!); and more.
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 ACS CCP News
ACS CCP� Recertification Information
Three years ago, ACS announced the first class of ACS CCPs. The 121 ACS CCPs from that inaugural class must now recertify in order to retain their ACS CCP credential. The objective of the ACS CCP� program is to elevate the level of knowledge and expertise in the cheese industry, and remaining an ACS CCP after the first three years requires continued experience within the industry.
The ACS Certification Committee worked hard to make the recertification process as simple as possible. Requirements for recertification include continued work and/or education in the cheese industry. Details are available on our website. If you are a member of the 2012 ACS CCP class, please access the online Recertification Application and submit it by December 31, 2015. Don't Miss the Chance to Win a Trip to the Comt� Region of France!
Each year, The Comt� Cheese Association provides a scholarship to an ACS CCP for an all-expenses paid trip to the Jura region of France to learn about the history and unique production of Comt� cheese. The scholarship application must be submitted by end of day, October 12. New this year: ACS CCPs in the US and Canada are eligible to apply.
2015 ACS CCPs, Your Certificates Are On the Way!
Members of the 2015 class of ACS CCPs will receive a certificate, lapel pin, and embroidered patch from ACS. These items were shipped this week to the address that was provided to ACS on exam day. Additional patches and pins are available for purchase; please contact ACS for information about purchasing additional items.
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Connect to ACS
Stay connected to ACS no matter where you are! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (#AmCheeseMonth), or LinkedIn. Get the latest updates from the cheese community, connect with fellow cheesemakers, retailers and enthusiasts, and tell us what's happening in your world.
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