Week of April 20 - Competition info mailed to cheesemaker members and available online.
Week of April 27 - Conference registration materials mailed to members and available online.
April 31 - Conference Scholarship Applications Due
May 1 - John Crompton Memorial Trust Applications Due
Thank you!
A big thank you to the industry leaders who have committed their financial support to the ACS 2009 Conference. We applaud their commitment. Click here to view the 2009 sponsors.
Learn how you, too, can support the ACS conference by visiting our sponsor page.
Dear ACS Members,
Welcome to the April issue of the Cheese Wire! Conference is quickly approaching and in less than four months, ACS members will converge in Austin, Texas for education, networking and, of course, tasting! Please check out the update from Kathleen Shannon-Finn below to get a sneak-peek of the '09 programming.
April is also an important month because conference registration information and competition forms will be mailed. Be sure to keep an eye on your inboxes and mailboxes later on this month.
Spring is a busy time for ACS, but please keep in mind that if you have information to add (member news, an event you want other members to know about or an upcoming article you are in, etc), let us know. Send your input to acs@hqtrs.com for inclusion in the Cheese Wire, monthly e-newsletter.
Thanks and happy reading!
Cheese in the Heart of Texas An Update from Kathleen Shannon-Finn, Program Coordinator
If you ask us how the conference program planning is going... be prepared for a blast of high energy!!! Why? Because we are thrilled with how it has come together! Working with the Conference Planning Committee has been great and our goal was to dedicate the process towards a fresh and dynamic perspective.
The focus for the group was on timely and substantive topics and we think you will see this in new speakers, presenters, panels and the opportunity to engage in dialogue exchange. We know this year presents economic challenges and we appreciate the investment of your time to attend the conference and are doing all in our power to make sure this program is one you will not want to miss.
Prepare to start the conference a full day earlier than you have in the past. We have loaded up Wednesday with a whole new program dedicated to Cheesemakers and Retailers. Retailers, join us by jumping on the Zing Train with Ari Weinzweig in the morning and HAACP for Retail in the afternoon. Our Cheesemaker Track will wind through a series of sessions on business and technical knowledge and will include an in depth HAACP session. Or, hop on the bus and get a first hand look at Cheese in the Heart of Texas while visiting Pure Luck Dairy and two well-recognized cheese retailers Central Market and Whole Foods Market.
Talk about high energy! Our keynote speaker, Jim Hightower, is the essence of fresh, dynamic, timely and substantive and he will kick off our Thursday through Saturday program with a bang! Many of you will recognize him from his insightful radio show on National Public Radio.
The program sessions literally have something for each of our members and will speak specifically to issues for cheesemakers, cheesemongers, retailers and distributors. We believe you will find yourself with some hard decisions as you try to figure out how you can attend more than one session at the same time!
We look forward to great cheese, lively discussions and warm Texas hospitality in Austin. Please join us in celebrating "Cheese in the Heart of Texas."
Can't wait to see you there!
Kathleen Shannon Finn
Program Coordinator
ACS is pleased to introduce a new benefit of membership: ADSA Affiliate Membership. Available only to ADSA partner organizations, this electronic membership was designed for individuals who have an interest in dairy science, but may not have the time or budget to attend ADSA's annual meeting, or cost-justify full membership in ADSA due to a different area of specialization.
At a 50% discount from ADSA professional membership dues, an Affiliate Member receives:
- Electronic access to the Journal of Dairy Science®. - Access to a treasure trove of synchronized symposia recordings. - Access to searchable joint annual meeting abstracts - The opportunity to subscribe to S-PAC™ (Searchable Proceedings of Animal Conferences) at the ADSA Member rate.
The Affiliate Member rate is $55.
To take advantage of this offer and to find out more information, please click here.
More Member & Industry News
Canada's first LEED Platinum-certified Industrial Facility ACS member, Petra Cooper, from Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company recently made headlines for their commitment to the environment and sustainability. Her Picton, Ontario factory and retail outlet achieved LEED Platinum-certified status and is the only industrial facility in Canada to do so. Congratulations to Petra and Fifth Town Artisan for achieving this honor! Read the full article here.
United States Cheese Championship Contests
The 15th biennial United States Championship Cheese Contest was held March 17 - 19 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Follow the link to view the winners, including many ACS members! 2009 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest Results
Speaking of Competitions.... The ACS Judging & Competition Committee, headed up by chair, David Grotenstein, has already started working on 2009 logistics. Forms, categories and instructions will be mailed to cheesemaker members and available online at the end of April.
If you know a cheesemaker who has not yet joined ACS, encourage them to join via the competition. It's an easy way to join and will save them money on their first entry! More details coming soon to cheesesociety.org.
'Tis the Season of Baby Goats!
Some ACS farmstead goat cheesemakers have caught on to the fact that people really, really love these little animals. To share the fun (and hard work!), they have documented kidding season online. One such member is Gianaclis Caldwell from Pholia Farm in Oregon.
You can watch (and listen!) to the new kids on her farm from dawn until bedtime via live video feed. Click here to check out the show.
April is National Grilled Cheese Month
If you are an ACS member, you probably already know that there are about a million and one ways to celebrate National Grilled Cheese Month! But here are just a few more...
ACS members, Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro & Wine Bar (NYC), are adding a little competition to their celebration. They are sponsoring a grilled cheese competition and the winning recipe will be featured on their menu. To enter, you may email your recipe to contest@artisanalbistro.com or visit their site for more information. The deadline is April 17, so start grilling soon.
If you'd prefer to leave the recipe-writing to the pros, it's a great month to consult Laura Werlin's Great Grilled Cheese cookbook. The former ACS board member literally wrote the book on grilled cheese and included 50 innovative recipes for your frying pan, grill or sandwich maker. Visit Laura's site to learn more.
Finally, got a recipe and need cheese? Make your own unique grilled cheese creation by visiting our online directory to search for cheesemakers & specialty retailers in your area!
Scholarship Reminder
Cheesemakers - This scholarship is for ACS Cheesemaker members who would like to attend our annual conference. Full scholarship winners will receive four nights hotel and $500 toward travel. Partial scholarships include a complimentary registration to the ACS conference. Read more and apply here.
Chef & Students - In addition to full scholarships and partial scholarships that we always offer to cheesemaker members, we are now awarding one full scholarship to a student member and one partial scholarship to a member chef. For more information, click here.
Retailers - The John Crompton Memorial Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the Second Annual John Crompton Memorial Scholarship(s) earmarked for retail industry attendees of the American Cheese Society Conference. These scholarship opportunities were created in honor of our friend and colleague, John Crompton, who passed away in August 2006. All who knew John Crompton are aware of his passion, dedication and commitment to the industry. For more information (including application requirements) click here.
