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 shipment question we keep answering
Interstate cheese shipment keeps coming up in member calls this month, and it's the single topic our advocacy volunteers get asked about most.
Read postThe block price climbed. The margin still hasn't.
Cheddar block prices pushed above two dollars a pound in August, but for most members the feed-cost side of the ledger moved just as much.
Read postWhat the cheesemonger credential actually covers
Certified Cheesemonger comes up in almost every question we get about credentials. Here is what the credential is actually built to test, and who it is for.
Read postThe newest face at a familiar counter
Kathy OLeary joined the federation in June from behind the counter at Orchardmere Cheese & Provisions. Two months in, she is still learning what membership is for.
Read postA block price that ran ahead
Wholesale cheddar block prices climbed sharply through July and into August. We look at why, and what it means for members setting prices this fall.
Read postThe clerk who worked the showcase table
A counter clerk from a small specialty shop worked the competition showcase table in Louisville for the first time, and came home with a different job in mind.
Read postThree weeks past Louisville, what stuck
The ICF Annual Conference wrapped three weeks ago. Here's what members are still talking about, and what to do with it before the season ends.
Read postThe margin month that finally went right
July's feed-and-milk margin triggered support again, and cheese prices firmed through early August. We look at why a good month still isn't a plan.
Read postWhat the cheese exam tests
Members keep asking what the Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) exam actually covers beyond memorizing styles. Here's the honest breakdown, and how to study for it.
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