Blog
Certification, education, advocacy, events, industry news and the members behind them — written by the Federation, for the people who make, age, sell and buy the cheese.
What a farmers'-market season actually takes
Farmers'-market season planning starts in late winter, not May. Our Direct-to-Consumer & Farmers' Markets course walks through the staffing, pricing, and permitting decisions members keep getting wrong.
Read postWhat the Certified Cheese Professional credential covers
Certified Cheese Professional questions have picked up this month. Here's what the credential actually tests, who it's built for, and how to prepare without over-studying the wrong thing.
Read postThe raw milk testing pause we're watching
The federal food-safety regulator has said it will pause part of its raw milk cheese testing criteria while it reconsiders the standard. Here's what that means and how…
Read postA softer milk price outlook
New federal projections trimmed this year's milk price forecast for the second month running, and members are starting to ask what a fuller supply might mean for their…
Read postWhat winter does to a small maturation room
Cold outside air, dry furnace heat, and a cave that wasn't built for either. We walked through why winter is often the hardest season for a small maturation…
Read postThe cheese buyer who still answers the phone
A cheese program director at a mid-sized specialty retailer told us what five years behind the case actually changed, and what a spreadsheet still can't replace.
Read postA busier case in the run-up to Valentine's Day
Cheese and charcuterie boards have been the fastest-growing corner of the specialty case for a couple of years now, and the week before Valentine's Day is when it…
Read postThe apprentice who keeps two notebooks
A second-year apprentice at a small goat dairy told us why she keeps a make-sheet notebook and a separate one just for what went wrong. Both matter more…
Read postWinter and your Listeria program
Cold-weather habits — propped doors, salted boots, standing meltwater — can undo an otherwise solid environmental monitoring program. What to check this month.
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