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.
Record milk prices and what they mean for your case
Class III milk hit a record for the month of May. We break down what's driving it, where the pressure actually lands, and what to do with the…
Read postWhat warmer weeks do to your cave
Outdoor temperature swings in spring push aging rooms off balance fast, and the fix usually has more to do with airflow than with the thermostat.
Read postThe pricing formula conversation starting early
A push to reopen the federal milk pricing formulas is picking up early momentum, and the federation wants member experience on record before it hardens into a fixed…
Read postThe fuel surcharge on your milk route
Diesel prices have climbed sharply this spring, and the surcharge is showing up on milk hauling invoices before it ever reaches a member's price sheet.
Read postThe apprentice trusting her own nose
A career-change apprentice at a small Midwest creamery told us the hardest part of her first year wasn't the vat work. It was learning to trust her own…
Read postWhat the Sensory Evaluation Certificate actually tests
Members keep asking whether the Sensory Evaluation Certificate is about tasting or about vocabulary. It's mostly the second, and that's the useful part.
Read postCheese is carrying the milk check this spring
Class III milk prices are running well above last year, and cheese demand — not butter, not powder — is the reason. Here's what that means for your…
Read postThe farmstead that did the math twice
A farmstead member in the upper Midwest recalculated her cost per wheel twice this spring, once for feed and once for fuel, before she felt right about her…
Read postThe recordkeeping rule that's still coming
A federal traceability proposal has been sitting in review since last year. It's not final, but it's worth building your recordkeeping toward now.
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