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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.

Member Spotlight

Member spotlight: her first entry form

A second-year apprentice at a Midwest farmstead creamery is filling out her first competition entry form this spring. She told us what almost stopped her from doing it.

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Advocacy

A carve-out for cottage cheese, and a clock for everyone else

The federal traceability rule just gained an exemption for cottage cheese, and the compliance clock for everyone else moved out to 2028. Here is what that actually changes…

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Industry News

The flush that isn't flooding the market

Spring flush usually means more milk than plants know what to do with. This year new cheese and butter capacity has outrun the herd, and some members are…

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Member Spotlight

Member spotlight: the quiet membership

A corporate-sponsored membership seat renews every year on autopilot and almost never shows up to anything. This spring, for the first time in three years, someone behind it…

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Advocacy

The aging rule coalition

The federal food-safety regulator has put its raw-milk aging standard on this year's priority list. A federation coalition meeting on the topic drew more members than the agenda…

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Industry News

The highest Class III price since November

March's benchmark milk price posted its biggest print since last fall, and the cheese market moved with it. Here is what a genuine firming looks like versus a…

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Certification

What the Advanced Affinage Certificate actually tests

The Advanced Affinage Certificate is the credential members ask about most and understand least. Here's what it actually covers, and who it's for.

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Member Spotlight

Member spotlight: the log she started keeping

A farmstead cheesemaker in her second year built her own batch-tracking log from a spreadsheet template and a lot of trial and error. It's holding up better than…

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Industry News

What the listening sessions mean for you

The federal food-safety regulator opened public listening sessions on lot-level tracking this month. Here's what small and mid-size creameries should take from them.

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