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.
The renewal that needs no reminder
A specialty cheese buyer at a regional grocery chain lets her own membership renewal sit right up against the deadline every year. We asked why, and what finally…
Read postA quieter margin picture heading into fall
Feed costs eased and cheddar held steady in early August. Neither number is dramatic, but together they point to a calmer margin season than producers expected.
Read postThe member whose tier doesn't explain her
A basic-tier member has logged more course hours and webinar attendance this year than members who've been with us for a decade. Her membership level doesn't tell you…
Read postWhat the advanced affinage credential actually trains
The Advanced Affinage Certificate is one of our least-asked-about credentials and one of the hardest to fake your way through. Here's what it covers and who it's for.
Read postCheese crosses two dollars a pound
Block cheese topped two dollars a pound this month, spot milk is running ahead of Class prices, and exporters are having their best year in a while.
Read postWhat August's milk numbers mean for your case
Margins are the best they've been in years, a second round of retail dairy testing came back clean, and neither one changes what your food-safety plan requires.
Read postThe apprentice reading her own log
An assistant cheesemaker at Silverbrook Cheese Makers spent a year filling in the humidity log before she understood what it was actually telling her.
Read postWhat a good market Saturday is actually selling
Mid-August is peak farmers' market season. A look at what the strongest market stands are doing differently, and the course that walks through it in detail.
Read postWhat heat does to your cave
A record-warm July stressed refrigeration and airflow systems across the country; here is what that means for a cave, and which course covers the fix.
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