Serving ACS...

I just returned home from our annual ACS Board meeting following the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

This show is close to my heart because it's where ACS gave our cheese at Caves of Faribault its first national exposure. ACS sponsored a small booth in the corner of Moscone Center back in 2003 and let several small cheesemakers have a two-foot counter space for a half day to exhibit our cheeses. I was thrilled and awed at the experience.

In my journey as an American cheesemaker, that was a pivotal moment. I got to know many great cheesemakers who are still friends today.

Now, the ACS presence at the Fancy Food Show has expanded into a large, dedicated American Cheese Society Pavilion, where many of our members have their own booths to sample products. That area of the hall has become known as a "must see" for those seeking great, innovative, and exceptional American cheese.

After the last day of the show, it is tradition for the Executive Committee to meet with our Executive Director and review the past year's performance. Nora and her team hit all of their performance marks and SMART Goals for last year (and then some). On behalf of the organization, a big "Thank You" goes out to Nora and team for an excellent year.

The next morning, our Board meeting opened with a review of our "duties" of care, loyalty, and obedience as Directors of ACS. It's an honor to serve ACS. Carrying on the vision of our founder, Frank J. Kosikowski, requires hard work and commitment but has also yielded great rewards.

As Directors, we are "servants" of that vision. I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute leadership and direction to an organization that has done so much for me personally, and for our industry at large.

Our governance model is based on the Carver's Policy Governance® Model. It means that as an organization, ACS has evolved to have full-time staff who daily attend to advancing Kosikowski's vision. As Directors, our role is to assist that professional team in the development of strategy to support and expand that vision. Nora and her team then work out the tactics needed to implement it.

As an organization, we will continue to evolve, adapt, and grow. To that end, we've adopted an annual planning cycle. Our Strategic Plan 2020 was formally approved at the Board meeting. You will hear the details this summer at the Annual Business Meeting held during " Cheese with Altitude" in Denver.

Now, it's that time of year when we're looking for members willing to serve as Directors, and we are pleased to be working with our Nominating Committee of Gordon Edgar, Marianne Smukowski, and Jeremy Stephenson. If you are willing to devote your time and positive energy as a "servant" of our organization as a Director, please email an official letter of recommendation to Nora Weiser by February 28.

All my best,

 

Submit Your Nominations for the ACS Board of Directors

The ACS Nominating Committee is seeking nominations of cheese industry professionals to serve in leadership positions on the ACS Board of Directors.

In 201 7, two new directors will be added to the Board from among our Producer/Cheesemaker members.

The Nominating Committee is currently reviewing candidates and will select a slate to run in the 201 7 election this summer. A number of desired attributes are integral to the selection process. Learn more about these attributes, Board member responsibilities, and the nomination process.

If you or someone you know is a strong candidate, please email an official letter of nomination to nweiser@cheesesociety.org by February 28, 2017.

ACS Releases Report of Key Findings from Industry Survey

We're thrilled to share a Report of Key Findings from our inaugural 2016 State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry Survey! This report provides a snapshot of the small businesses that make up the community of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheesemakers in America, by providing data reported directly from producers -- including many of you. We are grateful to those of you who participated!

This report highlights key findings in three areas: Cheesemaker Demographics (location, production volume, product types); Cheesemaking Practices (milk sources, milk types, cheese aging); and Business Insights (sales channels, revenues and profit margins, employees, facilities). Key findings among respondents showed that in the past year:

• 74% produced 50,000 lbs of cheese or less.
• 66% made their cheese using milk from their own animals.
• 67% of businesses reported gross revenues under $500,000.
• 92% of their production was sold domestically.
• 42% say they produce other dairy items in addition to cheese.

Additional data from the survey will be released throughout the year in reports that focus on food safety practices and business benchmarking.

The survey was conducted on behalf of ACS by researchers at the University of Connecticut and University of Georgia, with funding provided by the American Cheese Education Foundation.
 

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