Certification
What the judge accreditation actually requires
With Madison's medal table still fresh, a look at what it actually takes to sit on the other side of the judging table — and why the credential…
Publications
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.
Recent posts
Industry News
Tight stocks, a firm block market, and a reopened export lane
Block cheese is trading near a multi-year high and stocks are running well below last year's levels, while a cleared tariff dispute is opening room for export growth…
Education
What the washed-rind clinic actually fixed
The hands-on washed-rind session at the annual conference filled up fastest for a reason. Here's what the clinic covered, for members who couldn't make the trip.
Events
Gold, silver, bronze, and a very deep field
The ICF Annual Conference wrapped last Thursday in Madison with a closing session and awards presentation. Here's who took the categories and what stood out on the judging…
Member Spotlight
Five years of being the outside eye
A food safety consultant who's spent five years working with small creameries told us what most operators get wrong on the first draft of a plan.
Events
Notes from day one in Madison
The ICF Annual Conference opened Tuesday in Madison. A quick recap of day one, from a packed trade panel to the first round of competition judging.
Education
The market that fits in a folding table
Peak farmers market season is here, and most specialty producers still sell through one. A look at what makes a folding-table cheese stand work, and the course built…
Member Spotlight
The case, not the cave
One of our retail members has spent years proving a cheese program lives or dies at the counter, not the make room — and summer is when that…
Events
Join Thursday’s apprenticeship webinar
This Thursday's free webinar covers what a structured apprenticeship actually looks like inside a small creamery, from paperwork to who supervises the bench.
Industry News
Three months of safety-net payments in a row
The federal dairy margin program has now triggered a payment for three straight months this year. Here's what a run like that does and doesn't tell you about…
Member Spotlight
The wheel she almost didn’t enter
With competition entries due ahead of this month's Annual Conference, one small-batch producer on the wheel she nearly left off her entry list, and the documentation habit that…
Industry News
Cheddar closes June at a three-year high
Block and barrel cheddar closed June at prices not seen since late 2016, with firmer export demand doing a lot of the work. What that does and doesn't…