We are looking for an extremely talented and professional team to operate our new headquarters. In the first phase of our transition to self management, we will be recruiting an Executive Director.
A committee comprised of ACS member-leaders and current board members worked to craft a position description which was posted to the ACS website and a variety of targeted online and print media on Thursday, December 10th. Please pass the information on to individuals in your personal/professional network who may be qualified.
The search is going well. To date, over 70 candidates have submitted resumes to Steve Baer, the consultant working with us on the transition. The committee looks forward to phone interviews with qualified candidates in the coming weeks and hopes to interview several finalists in San Francisco in January.
Social Media Website Check out what a Wisconsin cheesemaker, a French trained cheesemaker making cheese in Vermont and others are saying about how they define artisan. Add your voice here.
Recipe of the Month - Chocolate Chèvre Truffles
Looking for something special to make this holiday season? Thank you to ACS Board Member Laurie Greenberg for submitting this month's recipe Chocolate Chèvre Truffles.
Wanted: Your favorite Cheesy Valentine's Recipes
Share your most romantic recipe featuring American cheese and we'll select the best to share in the January CheeseWire and on the ACS website.
ACS is your one-stop-shop for holiday gift giving! Check out all the cheese merchandise, including a variety of $5 gifts.
Who on your list would love a 25th Anniversary apron for only $5? Or, a photo-holder keychain shaped like a wedge of cheese for only $2? Check out these items and more. *Prices do not include shipping
Welcome New Members
ACS welcomed nine individual members, three small business representatives, five corporate representatives and five associate members in October and November. Click here to view the list.
Message from ACS President David Gremmels
Dear Friends,
As we near the year's finish I reflect on 2009 and all that has been accomplished by your volunteer board and committees. Many milestones were passed in membership, competition entries and annual revenues. There were new initiatives set in motion increasing membership benefits everyday of the year offering more member networking platforms and alliances dedicated to expanding the awareness of American cheese. The New Year poses many exciting new opportunities and possible challenges as we move into self management and establish our new headquarters. I am thankful to the dedicated volunteers who have built this organization over the last 26 years making it what it is today and what it will be tomorrow. I am honored to work alongside many of you and appreciate your contribution to our industry and association.
If you are looking for ways to make a difference for American cheese please reach out to any of the board members or myself and we will be happy to introduce you to our volunteer structure and committees.
There are also structured methods of giving. Please consider sponsorship of ACS activities. You can also make a tax deductible gift to our non-profit, the American Cheese Education Foundation (see below).
Wherever you are and whatever you celebrate in the coming weeks, I hope your holidays are filled with peace, prosperity, and love.
Happy holidays!
David Gremmels
President
American Cheese Education Foundation
Consider giving a year-end gift to the American Cheese Education Foundation (ACEF). The ACE Foundation is ACS's sister organization that allows your gift to be tax-deductible. You may donate as an individual or make a donation from your business.
The ACE Foundation now funds all cheesemaker scholarships to the ACS annual conference and supports other educational activities of ACS that are designed for you and all ACS members.
Please consider giving a tax-deductible gift to the American Cheese Education Foundation. Mail your tax deductible donation, postmarked on or before December 31, to:
American Cheese Education Foundation
P. O. Box 259336
Madison, Wisconsin 53725-9336
From the Judging and Competition Committee
In our last CheeseWire article we charted the dramatic growth in the number of entries over the past decade. We mentioned then that it was this growth that has dictated the increase in the number of categories and subcategories in ACS Judging. Subsequently, the number of awards handed out has grown by default.
When do we add a category? Category additions are based on two criteria: First, and most obvious, is when a particular type or style of cheese or dairy product emerges as entity unto itself. Washed rinds, Emmentaler-style, triple crèmes and clothbound cheddars are examples of categories that were created because the number of entries justified a separate category. The second instance is when an existing category starts to have too many entries and we make a determination to divide that category in order to ease the palate-load on our judges.
We want our judging teams to evaluate around 50 cheeses per day. If a category becomes larger than 50 cheeses we'll try to split it up. This is not only so that judges don't spend all day in one category. Our decisions are guided by our commitment to getting cheesemakers a fair critique and rating by the judges. For example, last year fresh goat cheese was divided according to shape and style. The flavored chevres were broken down into more detailed subcategories. Washed rinds were split into young and aged subcategories.
Some ACS members have expressed concerns that, amidst this growth, larger producers who submit multiple entries capture more ribbons. There are also concerns that the number of awards given out might have risen to a point where the impact of winning has been diminished. So we examined data from ACS awards given over the past five years.
The interesting collection of statistics you see here illustrates two trends in ACS awards from 2005 through 2009: the percentage of awards by the number of companies entering the competition and the percentage of awards by the total number of entries.
The data shows that more than 60% of the companies entering the competition have placed for an award in each of the past five years. Since 2/3 (or more) of the companies who enter the competition receive an award, it is clear that the competition is not dominated by a few companies.
Also, the number of awards as a percent of entries is not going up even though the number of awards has gone up due to more categories (and/or our now allowing ties for 2nd and 3rd Place).
Next month we'll walk you through the receiving process and explain why it's so important to pack your cheeses properly.
