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.
Sitting for a credential while you're already in Madison
The federation runs credential exams on-site during Annual Conference week every year, and the seats fill before members think to ask about them. Here is what's scheduled and…
Read postWhat the CCP exam actually tests
The federation's Certified Cheese Professional credential gets treated as a retail badge, but its exam covers production, affinage, and business fundamentals too. Here is what is actually on…
Read postThe guestworker guidance your hiring plan missed
New federal guidance this month clarified that year-round dairy operations can now use a seasonal guestworker visa program that had effectively excluded them. Here is what it does…
Read postMember spotlight: the wholesale maker behind a folding table
After a decade selling only to distributors, one farmstead maker set up her first market table this spring. She told us what a wholesale account never taught her.
Read postWhat judge accreditation asks of your summer
Competition Judge Accreditation isn't a weekend course. Here is what the credential actually covers and why members start it months before they ever sit at a table.
Read postGetting your market stand ready
Farmers' market season is in full swing. Before your next Saturday, a few things worth checking on the table, the cooler, and the sign.
Read postThe label claim worth reading twice
A voluntary origin-claim rule took effect earlier this year, and a front-of-pack labeling proposal is still moving. Neither one is optional to understand, even though the first is…
Read postThe credential built around your palate
The Sensory Evaluation Certificate isn't about having a good palate. It's about training one, and being able to defend a score to a room full of people who…
Read postExports are doing the heavy lifting now
Domestic milk prices eased again this month, but federal forecasters just raised their export outlook on stronger cheese and whey shipments. Here's what that split means for your…
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