Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Guild Members Awarded at 2010 ACS Competition
Congratulations to two Maine Cheese Guild cheese makers who were awarded multiple ribbons at the 2010 American Cheese Society conference competition, the largest cheese competition in North America including entries from the US, Canada, and Mexico.
A total of five awards went to the two Guild members: Pineland Farms Creamery won three awards; Appleton Creamery won two awards. Maine maintains its lock on the Feta category, with each cheese maker winning ribbons there, while Pineland’s Salsa Jack has won awards for several years.
All the 2010 ACS competition awards can be found here.
Soft-ripened white mold cheeses, flavor added:
1st place — Appleton Creamery, “Camella”
Feta, cow’s milk:
3rd place: Pineland Farms Creamery, “Feta”
Feta, sheep’s milk:
1st Appleton Creamery, “Sophia Feta”
Monterrey Jack, flavor added:
3rd place: Pineland Farm Creamery, “Salsa Jack”
Cheese Spreads, flavor added:
2nd place: Pineland Farms Creamery, “Spreadable Salsa Jack”
Benefit Supper For Painted Pepper Farm
| July 24, 2010 | ||
| 5:00 pm | to | 7:00 pm |
BENEFIT SUPPER
Lisa Reilich of Painted Pepper Farm was in a serious auto accident on May 25th. She needs our help. Join us for a spaghetti supper with salad and dessert and silent auction to help Lisa and her three girls.
DATE: July 24th, 2010
PLACE: First Congregational Church of Ellsworth
TWO SEATINGS: 5pm & 6pm
PRICE: $8 per person at the door & $7 before July 20th
Sponsored in part by:
Mix & Match 4-H Goat Club, First Congregational Church, and many generous donations from friends and business associates of Lisa Reilich. For more information or to purchase tickets before July 20th, contact Ruth Tainter 664-7520 or Lore Lipkvich 537-5673. Also, contributions can be mailed to Ruth Tainter.
Sanitation Training & Introduction to HACCP for Cheese Makers
***POSTPONED***
Unfortunately this had to be postponed. Beth and Gary will try to reschedule for November. We will post an updated announcement on the Guild web site when we get more information.
———
McIntire Room, Buchanan Alumni House; UMaine, Orono campus
Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm (Registration starts at 9:00am)
Lunch is provided.
$10.00 for Guild members
$20.00 for Non-Guild Members
Please register with Melissa Potts via email: mpotts@umext.maine.edu or by calling toll free: 1-800-287-7170, as we have a registration limit of 30 people.
A minimum of 15 participants are needed, registration is due by May 7th. We reserve the right to cancel the workshop by this date if the minimum participant numbers are not met.
Directions can be downloaded from this website, including a campus map: http://www.umaine.edu/locator/BuildingDisplay.asp?id=360.
If you do not have internet access, please call Melissa for a campus map.
Speakers include: Barbara Brooks, Seal Cove Farm
Beth Calder and Gary Anderson, UMaine Cooperative Extension
Dr. Al Bushway, Dept. of Food Science and Human Nutrition
This training is a basic sanitation workshop that covers milk and cheese room sanitation, cleaning equipment, milk quality testing, appropriate cleaning/sanitizing products, bacteria and techniques to control growth, HACCP and how to apply this information in a farm setting.
Ag Day At The Legislature 2010
Maine Dairy Princesses in front of the Guild Booth at Ag Day at the Legislature
It was a wet Wednesday as Maine’s food producer representatives set up displays in the hall of flags in the Maine State House to meet and feed the Legislators as they cycled in and out of meetings and sessions. I had plenty of cheese donations, and everyone who passed our table stopped and said, “oh, I LOVE cheese!” before diving into our samples. Barbara Skapa from Echo Ridge Creamery arrived midway through to bring more samples and give me some assistance.
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It’s All Greek To Me
Posted by Monroe Cheese Studio in News on March 17th, 2010
Does any one else make and sell Greek Yogurt? If so, you should be aware that our “secret” is out!
I offered Greek Yogurt in 2008 at the Belfast Farmers Market, and sold one package in four weeks, so I stopped making it. In 2009 I got requests for it as soon as the market started, and consistantly sold 4 to 8 packages a week. Lots of people asked what it is, and some of them ended up buying it. I told anyone who asked how they could save some money and make it themselves from my regular yogurt, and one or two people said they did, but everyone else said they were “too busy.” I still see lots of mentions of it in the press, so I expect even more demand for it in 2010.
Lost Forever?
The Associated Press reports on the possible demise of an ancient cheese from Alpine France: the Persillé de Tignes is now being made by the last of what used to be dozens of family cheesemakers in the Savoie village of La Savinaz. As these older varieties of cheese fade away, will newer versions take their place in the kaleidoscope of dairy flavors? Or will we forever lose a unique example of “milk’s leap toward immortality”?
[click on the image to see a larger version]
A French Cheesemaker Re-evaluates Camembert
An article in the NY Times describes a re-evaluation of Camembert, including the use of pasteurized milk (which contradicts the AOC standard for Camembert labeled cheeses). Hervé Mons now sells a Camembert style of cheese made in France that adds less culture, drains the curds more, and ages/ships the wrapped cheeses at low temperatures to draw out the time before it starts to get soft. M. Mons was interviewed at Slow Food’s bi-annual cheese festival by food science expert and occasional NY Times food columnist Harold McGee. Mons described his ‘new’ method for making Camembert, which sounds quite a bit like efforts being pioneered here in the US at Oregon State University.
Open Creamery Day
| October 11, 2009 |
This year our Open Creamery Day took place on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 from 11am to 3pm (unless otherwise noted below).
Read the Bangor Daily News article on Open Creamery Day at Olde Oak Farm in Maxfield.
In 2010 Open Creamery Day will take place on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend again!
As the hardwood foliage bursts in a blaze of colors on Columbus Day weekend, here is an opportunity to take in the spectacular sights and to taste some award winning cheese at the same time. Visit the creameries, meet the animals, and learn the stories behind Maine’s more than 150 artisan cheeses. Along the way you can also visit a farmers’ market, stop at an orchard, explore one of Maine’s premier breweries or winemakers, and drop-in on one of the many artisan breadmakers our state has to offer. You’ll love the views, but you’ll remember the taste!
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Guild Members (Current and Past) Win Big E Awards
Former Appleton Creamery apprentice Louella Hill
MCG Winners were:
Pineland Farms for
- Salsa Jack
- Onion and Garlic
- Smoked Monterey
- Smoked Salsa Jack
Appleton Creamery for
- Chevre in Olive Oil
- Georges Highland aged sheep cheese
Longfellow Creamery for
- Feta
