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.
What today's Listeria webinar actually covers
A federal best-practices guidance on Listeria monocytogenes in retail delis published this month. Today's free webinar and our HACCP credential explain what it means for a small cave.
Read postFour weeks out from Louisville
The 2023 ICF Annual Conference lands in Louisville on July 25. Here is what to lock down now if you are entering the competition or still deciding whether…
Read postA herd health course for summer
Recent research on summer heat stress puts real numbers on something farmstead members already feel in their milk supply. Our herd health course covers what to do about…
Read postRaw-milk cheese across state lines
Raw milk itself can't cross a state line, but a raw-milk cheese aged sixty days can. Members keep asking us to explain the difference, so here it is.
Read postMilk margins hit their floor
The federal Dairy Margin Coverage program's lowest safety net triggered a payment this month for the first time since it began. Here's what that says about the summer…
Read postGetting your entry ready for Birch
Workshop: Birch Competition Prep runs June 21, five days from now. Here is what the session actually covers and what to bring if you are entering this year's…
Read postThe cheese survey and your safety plan
A new national survey of artisan cheesemakers shows fewer varieties, less raw-milk production, and a bigger emphasis on formal food-safety practice. Here is what that shift asks of…
Read postThe margin number nobody wanted to see
The federal margin-coverage program tripped its lowest support tier this month, and block cheese kept sliding. Here is what both numbers mean for your bottom line this summer.
Read postThe volunteer who makes the welcome calls
One Membership & Outreach Committee volunteer has spent the last two summers calling every new member in their first thirty days. We asked what those calls are actually…
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