2016 Member Survey
The 2016 ACS Member Survey is ready for you to complete! We rely on your input to plan programs and events for members, evaluate new benefits, improve services, and launch member initiatives.
If you haven't done so already, please check your inbox for a link to complete the survey by next Friday, September 30.
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The State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry...in the Home Stretch!
Only 30 more cheesemakers need to participate in "The State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry" survey before it closes on September 30! If you haven't taken the survey yet, you can help us reach this goal:
simply click here to take it!
For added incentive, four respondents will be randomly selected to receive $100 gift cards! What do you have to lose?
Complete the survey.
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The Traditional Cheese Advocate Coming Soon
Later this week, check your inbox for the next issue of
The Traditional Cheese Advocate -- our quarterly update o
n ACS's efforts to promote, preserve, and protect traditional cheesemaking.
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Enjoy FedEx® Discounts By Enrolling in the ACS Shipping Program
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Discounted Rate for ACS Members to Attend the Upper Midwest Go to Market Conference
The Specialty Food Association is offering ACS members a discounted rate on registration for its "Upper Midwest to Market Educational Conference" in Madison, WI. This one-day workshop, to be held on October 27, is designed to teach specialty food manufacturers how to sell to distributors, specialty food retailers and supermarkets; how to prepare for a buyer's meeting and understand the importance of export.
Register here, and use code MIDDIS to receive the SFA member rate for this event!
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Certification News
Individuals who passed the 2016 ACS CCP Exam in Des Moines should have received a package with their certificate, pin, and patch in the mail. If you didn't receive this package,
contact Jane Bauer.
2017 Exam Applications
The next exam will be held on July 26, 2017 in Denver, Colorado.
The open date for applications has been moved to January 6, 2017. Applications will be accepted through March 31, 2017. Anyone who did not pass this year's exam, or who deferred and wishes to take the 2017 exam, will not need to reapply: simply
contact Jane Bauer by March 31.
2013 CCPs: Time to Recertify!
ACS CCPs from the 2013 class will need to recertify this year in order to retain their ACS CCP status. As the ACS CCP program is meant to elevate the level of knowledge and expertise of cheese professionals, remaining an ACS CCP requires continued industry experience. Luckily, recertification is easy: details are available
here. If you are a 2013 ACS CCP, simply
access the Recertification Application, click on "ACS Certified Cheese Professional®," and start your application today!
The last day to recertify is October 31, 2016.
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Scholarship Deadlines Nearing for ACS CCPs
Comté Scholarship
The Comté Cheese Association is once again offering a
special scholarship for ACS CCPs®. The winner will receive a trip to the Comté region to learn first-hand about the cheese's unique history and production, as well as to discover the know-how and culture of the region.
Submit your entry with a short essay by October 10.
Gruyère Scholarship
Le Gruyère AOP is offering a
new scholarship for ACS CCPs®. The winner will have the opportunity to travel to the Gruyère region to meet Gruyère AOP producers and learn about the cultural history of this cheese.
Submit your application with a description of your best Gruyère AOP display or promotion by October 24.
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Planning for Performance
Last week was most unusual here in beautiful Southeast Minnesota. Mother Nature dumped up to 14" of rain overnight in the area around my hometown of Faribault on Wednesday night, and on Thursday morning, the City declared a state of emergency as the Cannon and Straight Rivers swelled to flood stage in a matter of hours.
Thursday morning found me working in waist-deep water alongside the crew at Caves of Faribault in their efforts to keep the Straight River from inundating the Caves. That evening, I reflected on how valuable prior planning and preparation is for avoiding disaster. The plant had constructed a protective flood wall five years ago, and early Thursday, the team went to work putting their plan into action. Due to their preparation, planning, and drills, they kept the cheese and the plant safe from the second worst flood in recent history -- and we resumed production four days later. Through it all, close communication with government entities and other businesses benefited all in the community.
As cheesemakers and members of the ACS community, we too are constantly in a state of planning for unexpected emergencies. In particular, our food safety plans are paramount to avoiding a crisis for both our businesses and our communities. The more involved I've become with ACS, the more appreciation I have for the countless hours spent on "staying aware" and planning for the changes that may occur in our business landscape.
An example of how this preparation can lead to success occurred two weeks ago when a group of ACS representatives met with an FDA team in Washington, DC. Due to the foundation-building work of the past years and ongoing efforts by members, committees, and Nora's staff, we had a good meeting on Preventive Controls for Raw Milk Cheese (see our next issue of The Traditional Cheese Advocate, landing in your inbox later this week, for details). At this meeting, we also explored important horizon issues, such as FDA's draft reduced sodium targets for cheese.
While in preparation for the FDA meeting, our group also agreed on a plan to incorporate FDA's suggested edits into the recently published ACS Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers. FDA representatives expressed their appreciation for the scope and professional nature of this document. Now, we press on.
Other long-term planning includes the Board's preparation for the October Strategic Planning meeting in Denver next month. We are each taking a DiSC assessment to help us better communicate with one other on the critical issues our community needs to address in the years ahead.
As we continue to plan for success, please don't forget to celebrate American Cheese Month -- it's a testament to how far we've come through planning, preparation, and persistence!
All the best,
Jeff Jirik
President
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The Virtues of the Non-virtual
October is
American Cheese Month. This year, I hope you'll use this auspicious month to not only celebrate all of the wonderful domestic cheeses made by America's amazing and passionate cheesemakers, but also to celebrate one another. With on-farm visits, in-person tastings, shared meals with neighbors, and just "talking cheese" with the customers in your shop. We all spend too much time online, looking at tiny screens and wide screens, but very rarely at each other. There is a case to be made for the wonders that technology has given us, and the myriad opportunities it has afforded humanity. But, there is also a great deal that it has taken from us.
Andrew Sullivan's
recent piece for New York Magazine really made me reflect on the strength and types of connections we forge in the virtual world, versus those that exist. It makes me realize why in-person meetings still seem more important, efficient, and productive than those via Skype or conference call. It's why the ACS Board of Directors will gather in Denver next month to do the taxing and draining work of charting ACS's future. Strategic planning is tough work in-person, but I can't imagine trying to tackle it via phone, text, and Skype. It's also why over 1,200 of you made the trip to Des Moines this summer -- it wasn't for the corn, or even the cheese. You were undoubtedly lured by the siren call of in-person connection, community (okay, that
and the cheese). With our lives more and more online, and our addiction to the instant gratification of constant news from friends and the world, it is important to take the time to disconnect from our digital world and connect with our friends, family and neighbors over a cheese plate.
I'd get into that more, but my phone just beeped...gotta run!
Nora Weiser
Executive Director
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American Cheese Month is Almost Here!
 This October marks the sixth annual
American Cheese Month -- our grassroots celebration of American-made cheeses and the farmers, cheesemakers, retailers, mongers, and chefs who bring them to the table. Whether you are a cheese professional or simply a cheese lover, American Cheese Month is your chance to spread the word about the incredible quality and diversity of American cheese.
 If you're looking for creative ways to showcase your love for American cheese, pick up some Cheese Party merchandise to support the nonprofit American Cheese Education (ACE) Foundation, which is underwriting ACS's survey on The State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry. Shirts and bumper stickers are available for sale at www.cheeseparty.org.
We hope you will keep the ACE Foundation in mind when planning any charitable events or giving campaigns this October.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
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Session Recordings from Cheese in the Heartland - Plus, Complimentary Access to "The L Word: Listeria"
Cheese in the Heartland session recordings are available for online viewing through
ACS Education On-Demand. All ACS members should have received an email from MultiView with login instructions, which you can use to preview and purchase sessions. Full Conference registrants have access to all recorded sessions. Day Pass registrants have access to the sessions from the day they attended. Additional sessions are available for purchase, with members receiving a discounted rate.
For a limited time, ACS members have complimentary access to the recording of "The L Word: Listeria" from
Cheese in the Heartland.
View this session today! Complimentary access will be available for the next 30 days.
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Member Profile: Winter Hill Farm
Maine is known for its rocky coastlines, fog-draped pine forests and pots overflowing with lobsters, but in recent years it has established a place for itself on the cheese map as well, with the number of dairies and creameries
rising steadily, and some excellent cheeses accompanying these developments. On a recent spring weekend, I got a chance to visit one of this new generation, at
Winter Hill Farm, in Freeport, Maine.
Set inland about 15 minutes drive from the coast, in an open stretch surrounded by 55 acres of rolling pasture and mixed forest, Winter Hill Farm is owned by a trust and managed by Steve Burger and Sarah Wiederkehr, a young couple with two children, who live at the farm...
[continue reading]
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Free ACS Member Webinar
October 11, 2016 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm MDT
This free webinar will provide an overview of the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) voluntary sodium reduction targets and their impact on cheese and cultured dairy products, specifically. The webinar will feature FDA subject matter experts who will present the agency's current thinking regarding the Voluntary Sodium Reduction Targets Draft Guidance. Sign up for this webinar today.
Do you have questions for FDA on this initiative?
If you have questions about FDA's voluntary sodium reduction targets, email them to ewetherill@cheesesociety.org, so the presenters can be sure to address them.
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Asiago & Bacon Bread Pudding with Garden Tomatoes & Kale
 My garden is producing a plethora of tomatoes as well as hearty greens right now. At this time of year, I am beginning my own personal phase of nesting, but I am not completely ready to let go of the summer heat. Here in Colorado, it is still hot during the day, but it is much colder at night. This recipe celebrates just that -- the coming and going of the seasons. It is comforting and filling, while also light and fresh. I used tomatoes and kale from my garden, but any combination of vegetables you have that need to be used up, either from your garden or fridge, would work just fine.
Make this recipe, plus find many more from
The Cultured Kitchen,
here!
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This Debate Season, Follow the Cheese Party #QuestionGrater
 Are you following
@thecheeseparty on Twitter? If not, you may want to do so before the next Presidential debate! The Cheese Party #QuestionGrater will "grate" the moderator's questions on a scale of "creamy" to "hard." It's fun to follow along -- and it's a good reminder that no matter how the debate turns out, there's one party we can all agree on...
The Cheese Party!
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