Make Your Plans for
Cheese with Altitude!
Registration opens May 3rd!
Mark your calendar to join us in our hometown of Denver, CO this summer for "Cheese with Altitude": July 26-29, 2017.
Registration rates:
- Early: $499
- Regular: $599
- Late/On-Site: $699
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Apply for a 2017 Conference Scholarship by March 31
The application period for 2017 ACS Conference scholarships is open! If you're a cheesemaker, retailer, student, or local chef, be sure to check out the eligibility criteria and apply for a scholarship to attend "Cheese with Altitude" in Denver this summer. If you're eligible, we encourage you to
apply now!
Full scholarship recipients receive hotel accommodation, up to $600 toward travel expenses, and a complimentary Conference registration. Partial Scholarship recipients receive a complimentary Conference registration.
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ACS Judging & Competition Online Entry Begins April 5!
If you're planning to enter your products in the 2017 ACS Judging & Competition, keep these important dates in mind:
Online Entry Opens: Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Regular Entry Period Closes: Friday, May 12, 2017
Late Entry Period Closes: Friday, May 19, 2017*
*No entries will be accepted after May 19.
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Get Ready for the ACS CCP® Exam!
Many cheese professionals wonder about the ACS CCP® Exam, and the process involved in prepping for and taking the exam. The best way to learn about the exam is to talk with those who have passed it.
ACS CCPs® can provide unique insights into their experiences both preparing for and taking the exam.
A detailed
handbook on the ACS website provides information about eligibility requirements, how to apply, how to prepare, and what is covered in the exam.
If, after talking with current ACS CCPs® and reading the exam handbook, you decide the time is right to become an ACS CCP®, there are
many resources available on our website to assist you.
Check them out -- and best of luck!
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Meet an ACS CCP®
Michael Cox
Falling Bright Wine Merchants, Anaheim, CA
"Earning the American Cheese Society's Certified Cheese Professional® credential in 2012 has given me a complete understanding of not only
different types of cheeses, but also the process by which they are made. It has also given me the knowledge to let the product shine, by understanding the proper manner in which to care for the cheese, the best seasonal windows to acquire certain cheeses, and the best regional cheese pairings.
I believe that, just as with wine (I am also a Certified Sommelier), your level of education is essential when discussing cheese with your guests or fellow team members. It can be used to establish a quality program within your environment, to offer educational programs that inform your guests (therefore increasing their intrigue and interest), and it can ultimately lead to higher revenue within the often narrow bottom lines found in this industry.
The focus and realm of knowledge about cheese that is required to successfully pass the ACS CCP® Exam assures those you work with, and your customers, that you have the ability to offer the product with a level of expertise and precision matching that of the finest restaurants in the United States."
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Cheese in the News
How Fancy Cheese May Save Some Small-Scale Dairies, National Public Radio
Tips from a cheese enthusiast on how to create the perfect cheese platter, The Orange County Register
Study catalogs the complex flavors of American made goat cheese, K-State Olathe
Listeria Discovery Leads to Snowballing Cheese Recalls, Modern Farmer
A New Grassfed Dairy Label on the Horizon, CivilEats
UW program helps local cheesemaker make Best of Show cheese, Channel3000
University experts help Roelli create champion cheese, UW-Madison News
Closing: Lone Grazer, Awesome Urban Cheesemaker, MSP Magazine
Lucy's Whey Leaving Chelsea Market, DNAinfo New York
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Continuous Improvement...
February saw another major milestone achieved by the ACS Regulatory & Academic Committee and our ACS Management Team in Denver, with the publication of the revised
Second Edition of the "ACS Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers." This edition updates content to align with FSMA and incorporates technical edits and recommendations provided by FDA subject matter experts who took time to carefully review the Guide.
Work on the Best Practices Guide began several years ago in response to a member's question raised at an annual ACS Town Hall Meeting. It was clear that our growing cheesemaker membership needed a resource to help them implement effective food safety programs at their creameries. At that time, the regulatory landscape was changing rapidly, and it was difficult to stay "educated" on the latest developments and program requirements. ACS stepped forward and created an effective, dynamic educational resource that would have certainly made Dr. Frank V. Kosikowski, ACS's founder, proud.
As cheesemakers, educators, managers, and employees, our work life is about responding to our environment and creating positive change. One of my treasured resources on creating and managing change is Stephen R. Covey's "
7 Habits of Highly Effective People." This timeless classic urges us to reflect on our principles and mission before deciding how we act. In other words, execute on strategy to create your future. ACS's
Strategic Plan 2020 does just that, distilling all of the thought, effort, and passion of the ACS Board of Directors into an actionable plan that will allow us to continue to serve our members into the future.
As an organization, ACS's current successes are due to many years of preparatory work clarifying our vision and goals followed by executing effective written action plans. I believe the Best Practices Guide exists and improves because of these strategic efforts, and that it will be one of our enduring legacies to Kosikowski's founding vision of ACS 34 years ago.
All my best,
Jeff Jirik
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The Melting Pot of American Cheese
America is a country of immigrants. I'm a first generation American myself. My Dutch
parents came to the U.S. in the 1960s; my father a professor of organic chemistry; my mother having survived a Japanese camp in Indonesia to go to work for the Dutch diplomatic corps in Germany, Suriname, and Curaçao. They were part of Europe's post-war "brain drain," but ultimately they were just newcomers like so many present day refugees seeking asylum on our shores. Whether here by choice or out of necessity, the immigrant storyline I've heard has always been positive -- good people, often in bad circumstances, seeking a better life, freedom, safety, a chance to contribute, to build something.
To bring my thoughts down to a more manageable scale, I turn once again to cheese. The story of cheese in America is really a story of immigrants. Without Dutch settlers bringing their recipes and traditions, would we have such great domestic goudas? What would we lose if Basque sheepherding traditions had not been transported to the similar landscape of Idaho? Americans' love of cheeses with Italian and British heritage is certainly no secret, with mozzarella and cheddar topping the list of most-consumed cheeses in the U.S.
Immigrants are instrumental in making the wide array of cheeses we enjoy here in America today.
Based on my personal experiences, it has been hard for me to understand how people can have a negative view of immigrants and immigration. I have to imagine it stems from a place of fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of change. But the unknown is not unknowable; nor is change in and of itself good or bad. Progress ultimately moves in just one direction, forward. I'd love to hear
your positive stories about immigrants and their contributions to the American cheese community. I hope you'll share yours on the ACS Facebook page!
Nora Weiser
Executive Director
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Today is the Last Day to Submit Your Board Nominations!
Today, February 28, is the last day to submit your nominations of cheese industry professionals to serve in leadership positions on the
ACS Board of Directors. In 2017, two
new directors will be added to the Board
from among our Producer/Cheesemaker members.
If you or someone you know is a strong candidate, please email an official letter of nomination to nweiser@cheesesociety.org.
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The Second Edition of the ACS Best Practices Guide for Cheesemakers is Now Available!
- Incorporates technical feedback from FDA reviewers
- Revises and expands chapters 6-10
- Provides the most current FSMA compliance guidelines
- Includes a more comprehensive resources section
- Features new food safety program templates in the Appendix
Print copies of the Guide are also available for purchase; see pricing below.
Please note that a password (acsmember) is required to access the member rates.
- Color - $45 for members ($60 for non-members)
- Black & White - $25 for members ($40 for non-members)
*If you previously purchased a print copy of the Guide, you should have received information via email to purchase a print copy of the 2nd Edition at a discount. Please contact ACS if you would like this information re-sent to you.
We would like to know more about how the Guide has been received and used, so that it can continue to serve as the most useful tool possible for industry members. If you download or purchase a print copy of the Guide, please consider taking a few minutes to complete our short survey, and help us continue to improve it!
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Certification News
2017 Exam Applications
The
next ACS CCP® Exam will be held on July 26, 2017 in Denver.
Applications will be accepted through March 31!
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 to reserve your space.
If you're planning on taking the exam this year, please check out a
list of helpful exam preparation resources on the ACS website.
Re-certification for 2014 CCPs
Applications for re-certification for CCPs from the 2014 class will open in conjunction with the 2017 ACS Conference in Denver this summer. In order to retain your certification, be sure to re-certify by October 31, 2017!
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Cheesemakers and Affineurs: Sign Up for a New R&D Session at the 2017 Conference in Denver!
This summer, ACS will be offering a unique session at our 2017 Annual Conference in Denver. Think of it as "speed dating" for cheese! Cheesemakers and affineurs are invited to sign up for the opportunity to share products in the R&D stage with cheese industry professionals for immediate and candid feedback.
If you are a cheesemaker or affineur and you are selected to participate in this opportunity, you will be asked to bring samples of your product(s) to share with small, rotating groups during this 90-minute session. Please submit your intent to participate by March 15; space is limited, and ACS will notify those producers who are selected by April 1, so they can get started on producing and aging their products for this great event!
Would you like to help provide focused feedback to producers? If you wish to participate in this session as an attendee, you will have the opportunity to sign up for a seat during the 2017 ACS Conference registration process (registration opens May 3). Space is limited, as with all Conference tasting sessions.
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Nominations for Lifetime Achievement Award Due May 1
The ACS Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2006 to honor an individual whose professional accomplishments have made a significant and lasting impact in the American cheese industry, and whose life and character have earned the respect and admiration of their colleagues.
ACS members have an opportunity to nominate a candidate for this award! You can nominate a candidate by presenting an application which demonstrates his or her contributions to the industry. To nominate someone:
- Read the full nomination criteria and complete the official nomination form
- Provide a one-page summary of the nominee's demonstrated contributions
- Provide the nominee's biography
- Provide two (2) letters of support for the nominee
Nominations will be accepted through May 1, 2017.
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Leavin' On a Jet Plane: Expanding Your Operations to an Airport -- Watch this Free Member Webinar!
In a recent ACS member webinar, presenter Alea Kilgore, Strategic Partnership Manager for Mission Yogurt, shared information about how to get your brand started in the airport concessions space, as well as advice on how to thrive in this environment and avoid potential pitfalls. Watch the recorded webinar, below!
To access this webinar recording, enter password acsmember.
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Citrus Medley Cake with Yogurt and Olive Oil
By Sarah Spira, Content Manager
 When I was living on the East Coast, the cold gray overcast February weather made me crave bright, sunny citrus fruits. This recipe is inspired by Formaggio Kitchen South End's Orange Olive Oil Cupcakes, and Talbott & Arding's Lemon Olive Oil Cakes -- my favorite dessert at both shops, and perfect with afternoon tea.
I based my recipe on Smitten Kitchen's
Lemon Yogurt Everything Cake. I added Karoun Dairy's Gopi Indian Yogurt, which makes this cake rich, crumbly, and a little tangy. I couldn't decide which variety of citrus to use -- so I ended up with a medley of Lemon, Cara Cara Orange, Blood Orange, Navel Orange, and Mineola Tangelo.
Make this incredible recipe, and many more, from
The Cultured Kitchen!
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