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 today's water activity webinar covers
Today's Water Activity & Shelf Life webinar is a strange one to schedule on Christmas Eve, and also exactly the right week for it, if your cave is…
Read postThe comment period that closes between holidays
A federal comment window on interstate raw-milk cheese shipment closes the first week of January, and the quiet week between Christmas and New Year's is when most members…
Read postWhat a year of strong margins buys you in a pricing fight
Federal milk order pricing reform is back on the table for next year, and 2024's relatively strong producer margins change what our members can credibly ask for.
Read postSave the date for Sacramento
The ICF Annual Conference 2025 is set for mid-July in Sacramento, and early registration opens this week for members who plan travel and workshop picks months ahead.
Read postThe credential with the shortest clock
The Food Safety & HACCP Certificate recertifies every two years, the shortest cycle in the federation's credential ladder, and December is when that clock gets noticed.
Read postWhat Cut & Wrap Fundamentals actually covers
Gift boxes and holiday portioning put pressure on a skill most members learn on the fly. Here's what our Cut & Wrap Fundamentals course actually trains, and who…
Read postThe rep who writes it down
A regional distribution rep keeps a private notebook on every cave she calls on — humidity, timing, what sold last visit — and it's become the reason producers…
Read postSteady supply, rising demand, and your January contract
National milk production has held up better than forecast and specialty cheese keeps gaining ground. Here's why that combination is a good moment to look at your January…
Read postRunning a cave through a cold snap without running up the bill
Heating costs are up again this winter, and a cave that swings with the weather is a food-safety problem as much as a budget one.
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