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 the sensory evaluation certificate actually tests
It isn't a tasting party with a certificate at the end. Here's what the Sensory Evaluation Certificate actually requires you to demonstrate.
Read postMember spotlight: the vat she finally runs
Three years as the assistant, then the head cheesemaker retired. A farmstead assistant on what changes when the make sheet has her name on it.
Read postThe byproduct that started paying its way
Whey used to be the thing you hauled off site for pennies. This spring it is doing real work on your milk check, and it's worth understanding why.
Read postGetting your cave ready for summer
Warmer weather is the hardest stretch of the year to keep an aging room stable. Here is what to check before the first real heat wave, and the…
Read postMember spotlight: her first market tent
A small-batch cheesemaker is setting up a farmers market tent for the first time this season, after two years of wholesale-only sales. She told us what surprised her…
Read postWhat a fuller case actually costs you
Specialty cheese sales are up, imports are up, and the case in front of your customer has never had more in it. We look at what that crowding…
Read postThe credential behind your safety plan
The Food Safety & HACCP Certificate isn't a rule-memorization test. It's built around the hazard analysis your creamery is already supposed to have on paper.
Read postThe buyer building a bigger case again
A specialty cheese buyer spent the last two years trimming her case to whatever her budget could carry. This spring, for the first time in a while, she's…
Read postAn export door for smaller makers
Cheese exports have set records for three straight months. We're hearing from smaller members for the first time about whether a first shipment is worth the paperwork.
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