American cheese society logo
American cheese society logo
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The leader for American Cheese

Welcome to the American Cheese Society 

The American Cheese Society (ACS) is the leader in promoting and supporting American cheeses, providing the cheese industry with educational resources and networking opportunities, while encouraging the highest standards of cheesemaking focused on safety and sustainability. 

Our site offers resources, education, industry directories, and other valuable tools for cheese professionals and enthusiasts alike.

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Learn, Show Your Skills, Grow

ACS Programs and Events

The American Cheese Society has numerous programs and events for the cheese community that provides educational resources, networking opportunities, and opportunities to showcase your achievements in cheesemaking, cheesemongering, and more.  

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Conference

As an industry and a professional association, we gather each year to celebrate and tackle challenges together. At the American Cheese Society Annual Conference, we celebrate a vibrant and growing market for world-class American-made cheeses.

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Competition

The American Cheese Society Judging & Competition is a technical and aesthetic evaluation of American-made cheeses. By hosting Judging & Competition, ACS shines the spotlight on American cheesemakers by showcasing their talents and work as leaders within the industry. 

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Certification

The American Cheese Society offers two industry certifications: ACS Certified Cheese Professional® (ACS CCP®) and ACS Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator® (ACS CCSE®) that formally recognizes professional achievement at a national level. 

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Resources 

The American Cheese Society is dedicated to providing its members, industry professionals, and cheese enthusiasts with educational resources. Whether you are seeking information about best practices in cheesemaking, hoping to get a better understanding of the terms used in the cheesemaking industry, or seeking information about food safety, our collection of resources is designed to help support you and your business. Many of our resources are available to everyone. However, some resources require an active ACS membership for access. 

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Terminology

Cheese & Dairy Product Lexicon & Glossary

Assessing, grading, judging, evaluating, marketing, and socializing with cheese all require different types of terminology. ACS has codified the terminology used when talking about sensory characteristics and evaluating and selling cheese.

ACS Lexicon & Glossary
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Cheesemaking Resources

The Safe Cheesemaking Hub

This award-winning website offers a compendium of food safety resources selected and organized to help cheesemakers easily find the information they need. 

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Industry Data

State of the Industry Reports

The biennial State of the U.S. Artisan/Specialty Cheese Industry Survey, funded by the American Cheese Education Foundation, provides critical data about the small businesses that make up the community of artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheesemakers in America.

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What's happening

Cheese Industry Events

Upcoming deadlines and cheese industry events

Agritourism Webinar
Thu, Jan. 29, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

ACS Webinar: Agritourism - Bringing Consumers to your Creamery & Dairy to Increase Sales

Join Vivien Straus, founder of the California Cheese Trail, as she moderates a dynamic panel discussion on how to engage the public and boost cheese sales through on-farm and creamery tours, tastings, cheesemaking classes, and other innovative approaches.
Read More
JC judging
Tue, Feb. 3, 2026 All Day

Early Bird Deadline for Call for Entries for 2026 ACS Judging & Competition

Submit your cheeses and cultured dairy products to the 2026 ACS Judging & Competition! Entry fees will increase on February 4. Learn more at cheesesociety. org/competition
Read More
Tue, Feb. 10, 2026 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

Special Event: A Guided Cheese Tasting with Trevor Warmedahl

In the forthcoming book Cheese Trekking How Microbes, Landscapes, Livestock, and Human Cultures shape terroir, nomadic cheesemaker, fermentation educator, and popular Substack writer Trevor Warmedahl recounts his experiences visiting pastoral communities and cheesemakers in overlooked border regions around the world, traveling on a shoestring budget with little more than a…
Read More

All Events

  • Agritourism Webinar
    Thu, Jan. 29, 2026 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

    ACS Webinar: Agritourism - Bringing Consumers to your Creamery & Dairy to Increase Sales

    Join Vivien Straus, founder of the California Cheese Trail, as she moderates a dynamic panel discussion on how to engage the public and boost cheese sales through on-farm and creamery tours, tastings, cheesemaking classes, and other innovative approaches.
    Read More
  • JC judging
    Tue, Feb. 3, 2026 All Day

    Early Bird Deadline for Call for Entries for 2026 ACS Judging & Competition

    Submit your cheeses and cultured dairy products to the 2026 ACS Judging & Competition! Entry fees will increase on February 4. Learn more at cheesesociety. org/competition
    Read More
  • Tue, Feb. 10, 2026 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM

    Special Event: A Guided Cheese Tasting with Trevor Warmedahl

    In the forthcoming book Cheese Trekking How Microbes, Landscapes, Livestock, and Human Cultures shape terroir, nomadic cheesemaker, fermentation educator, and popular Substack writer Trevor Warmedahl recounts his experiences visiting pastoral communities and cheesemakers in overlooked border regions around the world, traveling on a shoestring budget with little more than a…
    Read More

All Events

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