About

Champions Of Maine Cheese

Cheesemaking boomed in the Pine Tree State in the 1870s — but sputtered in the early 1900s. A new, energetic group of Maine cheesemakers brought the artisan craft roaring back in the 1980s and 1990s. The Maine Cheese Guild, founded in 2003, was the first modern cheese guild in the United States. Today, it’s where the state’s cheesemakers (and cheese lovers) gather, working hard to make Maine cheeses of all varieties thrive.

Driven by a mission to support and encourage the Maine cheesemaking community, the guild brings together the most talented farms, creameries, and cheesemakers in the state. Our members care about the animals, craft, and people that make Maine cheese special. We are also made up of folks who love to eat cheese and want to learn more. All are welcome — come one, come all, and join the fastest-growing cheesemaking state in the nation!

Here's what drives us

We care about the past, present, and future of Maine cheese.
We value what makes Maine cheese unique — the terroir, animals, craft, and people who live close to the land, working hard every day to make delicious and meaningful cheeses.
We are committed to putting Maine cheese on the map!

A movement, made together.

Our supporting Partners are businesses and organizations that believe in what Maine cheese represents — and put their resources behind it. Their support funds the programs, events, and advocacy that help Maine's cheesemaking community thrive.

become a supporting partner

Balfour Farm

Balfour Farm is a 100-acre organic farmstead and creamery in Pittsfield, Maine. They raise a closed herd of Normande cows and use the milk to make small-batch raw milk cheeses — aged, fresh, and smoked varieties.

ingredient supplier

Dairy Connection

A Madison, Wisconsin-based ingredient supplier that’s served specialty, farmstead, and artisan cheese and fermented-milk manufacturers since 1999.

Contributing Member

Fred Knight

Stone Tree Farm & Cidery

A small-batch winery and cidery founded in 2020 in Unity, Maine. They make wines and ciders on-site, with a tasting room open to visitors.

leaders who live and
breathe maine cheese

Our board is a volunteer group of cheesemakers, food science specialists, and culinary professionals who work together to advance the craft, support the community, and grow the future of Maine cheese.

Our Team

Management Company

Christine Cummings

of

Executive Director

Curtis Picard

of

Operations Associate

Amy Downing

of

Operations Associate

Board of Directors

Executive
committee

Caroline Gander

of

Fuzzy Udder Creamery

Vice President

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Cheesemaker and business owner

Doug and Heather Donahue

of

Treasurer

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Cheesemaker and business owner

Holly Aker

of

Local Goods Gathered

Secretary

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Cheese advocate and business owner

Jean Koons

of

Kennebec Cheesery

President 

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Cheesemaker and business owner

Leadership

Anil & Kelly Roopchand

of

Pumpkin Vine Family Farm

Board member

-

Cheesemakers and business owners

Beth Calder

of

University of Maine

Board Member

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Food Scientist

Bobby Boucher

of

Board Member

-

Cheesemaker, Cheese Monger, and Farmer

Carrie Whitcomb

of

Springdale Farm

Board member

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Cheesemaker and business manager