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.
A new round of raw-milk bills, and what we're watching
State legislatures are back in session and several have opened with direct-to-consumer raw-milk bills. Here's what the language usually covers and how to weigh in.
Read postThe margin math that opens the year
The federal outlook for 2024 puts the milk-to-feed margin a shade below last year's cushion. Here's what that means before you finalize your first order of January.
Read postBook February's milk handling workshop now
Winter is when milk handling problems are easiest to miss and hardest to explain later. Our February workshop on milk handling is worth blocking off before the calendar…
Read postThe credential worth starting now
If a credential has been sitting on your someday list all year, the week before a new one starts is the honest time to plan it, not the…
Read postWhat December's prices tell us
December's federal price reports came in softer than November's, and margin coverage triggered payments for most of 2023. Here's what that combination might mean going into the new…
Read postWhat the Foundations Certificate is actually for
Membership terms turn over in January, and every year a wave of newer members ask which credential to start with. The Cheese Foundations Certificate is usually the right…
Read postA cold snap in your vat, not just your cave
Aging rooms aren't the only thing a hard freeze disrupts. Milk temperature and culture activity shift too, and a make that ran perfectly last month can drift this…
Read postA storm week for the holiday case
A major winter storm crossing the Northeast this week landed squarely on the busiest shipping days of the year. Here's what members told us about routing around it.
Read postGetting a competition entry ready before the new year
A curd competition prep workshop runs in Green Bay on December 19. Here's what it covers and why an entry made this month needs different handling than one…
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