The opportunity for internship scholarships is much more prevalent than in years past. Carrie, aka Justice of the Cheese, has done two scholarships through the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund. We chat about the differences in the scholarships we both have received and the realities behind going to work in a cheese plant for a month.
Find Carrie:
IG @justiceofthecheese
Read MoreDairy Connection supplies ingredients to artisan, farmstead, and specialty cheesemakers nationwide. Dave Potter, creator and president of DC, is taking a "not retired but not required" approach to the company and leaving it in the capable hands of his daughter, Katie Phillips. We discuss how that transition is going and all of the amazing things that Dairy Connection offers to cheesemakers and mongers alike.
IG: @dairyconnectioninc
Read MoreAt any given time during the summer, there is a major cheese party going on somewhere. While September is nearing the end of summer, it is prime leaf-peeping season and cheese party season in the great state of Vermont. In this episode, I chat with Andi Wandt, Creamery Manager of Shelburne Farms, about the upcoming Vermont Cheese Week and Summit. If you've been on the fence about going, Andi is here to romance you into being there to fulfill your cheesy rom-com dreams through Vermont's dairy delights.
This is a hefty episode filled with so many details, but you can find all the events on the Vermont Cheese Council's website.
Read MoreMany legacy cheesemakers in the American Artisan Cheesemaking scene are trying to figure out what's next for them. Some have sold to larger foreign entities, and some brands have been lost. At Capriole in Greenville, Indiana, Sam Schad is working to fill his grandmother's shoes. It's a lot to fill but Sam is doing it with gratitude and a bit of gumption.
Find them on IG: @capriolegoatcheese
Read MoreHill Valley Dairy is making big moves in Wisconsin and may soon extend its reach outside of the cheese state's borders. Listen in as Ron Henningfeld recounts his pure Wisconsin dairy tale.
IG@hillvalleydairy
Hill Valley Dairy
Read MoreTake a walk through Seattle's food history over the last 15 years with Tyson Danilson and learn how he's made the switch from distribution to food brokerage.
IG@cheesetruckin
Cascade Direct
Read MoreThe days of "The Cheese Primer" being the primary source of cheese education are long over. These days, we are fortunate enough to have things like the Academy of Cheese. Based in the UK, this tiered cheese education program will lead cheese professionals and lovers into a more profound knowledge base on cheese's many layers.
Academy of Cheese
IG: @cheese_academy
Read MoreConsider this episode a Spring pledge drive because I am chatting with the ladies behind Street Cheese, and we are talking about their Indiegogo campaign to open their brick-and-mortar shop here in Seattle. After four years of hard work building their name, they are angling to have a permanent home. They tell us all about their vision, the hurdles to get there, and what dealing with commercial real estate in Seattle is like.
Please donate or share this episode to find people wanting to back this worthy venture!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mobile-shop-seeks-home-to-stop-spinning-its-wheels#/
https://www.streetcheeseseattle.com/
IG: @streetcheesesea
Read MoreUrban Stead Cheese just celebrated its sixth year in business, and this episode is all about how they got there. Andrea tells all about how they gutted a building to create the cheesemaking space of their dreams.
Urban Stead Cheese
IG: @urbansteadcheese
Read MoreSouth Africa has had a rich history of agriculture and fermented dairy products. Still, it's only been within the last 100 years that cheese has played a part, mostly due to colonization. During apartheid, cheesemakers had to sell their cheese to the government, which led to only a few styles being made. Since the end of apartheid, an innovative cheese industry has started to bloom. Klein River Cheese is one of the cheesemakers making a name for themselves in South Africa and the world. Ray Siebrits joins me to chat all about cheesemaking in South Africa.
Find Klein River Cheese: Klein River Cheese
IG: @kleinrivercheese
Read MoreSocial Media has helped us connect in entirely new ways, and Erika Kubick is out here doing Cheesus' work by preaching the word of curd to the masses. Author, IG baddie, and cheese educator, there isn't much Erika can't do, but we chat about the pitfalls of living your life online and the lack of money that entails if you want to stay true to your creative vision.
Find Erika here: https://www.cheesesexdeath.com/
Find the black garlic honey mentioned in the episode here: https://www.eatblackgarlic.com/shop/black-garlic-infused-honey
Read MoreWhile we've lost some big-name cheese shops over the last couple of years, we've added some new flavors to the roster. One of the cheese show's new stars is Agnes Cheesery and Restaurant in Pasadena, California.
Vanessa and Thomas Tilaka Kalb, two professionally trained chefs who love cheese, opened this venture in 2021 but started the process in 2018. We chat about everything it took to open it in an uncertain time.
Read MoreOpening a cheese shop is no easy feat, but once you get past the initial opening, you have the challenge of keeping the doors open. In this episode, we check in with Laura Downey from Fairfield & Greenwich Cheese Company about some of the strategies they've employed to keep the lights on and make the shop a valued part of the community.
Here are your links to connect with Laura and the team!
IG: @fairfieldgreenwichcheeseco
Website: https://fairfieldcheese.com/
Read MoreRachael Lucas has been hustling hard in the Seattle cheese world to create her perfect cheese job. She's built relationships in the wine world, leading to her current hyper-fixation and a perfect blend of passions. From cheese classes to small cases in wineries' tasting rooms, she's trying, and succeeding at solidifying her place.
Find Rachael at https://cheeseladyloveswinellc.com/
IG: @cheeseladyloveswineseattle
Read MoreThe passionate, hard-working people that brought you a 5k during the middle of a cheese conference are back with more tricks under their sweatbands! They've added some friends and created grants geared towards cheese professionals to get experiences at some of the best in the biz. The deadline to apply for these grants is right around the corner on February 28th, 2023, so now is the time for the last push!
Apply here: thecheeseletes.org
Questions/Sponsorship Opportunities: network@thecheeseletes.org
Find The Cheeseletes on IG @thecheeseletes
Read MoreHow does a small cheese shop compete in this current space of instant gratification? With heart, enthusiasm, and passion, of course!
You can find all that and brightly colored aesthetic at Lady and Larder in Santa Monica, California. Created by twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms, this small but mighty shop feeds celebrities and local cheese lovers.
Sarah's energy will excite you for your next trip to the cheese shop.
IG @ladyandlarder
Website https://www.ladyandlarder.com/
Sarah also mentioned working with the Cheese Culture Coalition, and you should check out their work.
https://cheeseculturecoalition.org/
Read MoreIf you are in or near the Philly cheese scene, then Alexandra Jones is a name you know well, but even if you live on the other side of the country, her food writing has likely informed your ideas about cheese. From Culture magazine to Modern Farmer, Alex has bylines that range in topics about cheese and agriculture. She's taking a more personal approach by starting her own newsletter over at Milkfed.
Here's where else you can find Alex and all of her work:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/arockjonestown/
Website: https://www.alexandrajones.net/
Collective Creamery: https://www.collectivecreamery.com/
Stuff Every Cheese Lover Should Know: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646054/stuff-every-cheese-lover-should-know-by-alexandra-jones/
Read MoreCaite Palmer and Arlene Hunter have created a podcast to talk about being farm parents, and they join me to give a snippet of the topics they delve into on their show. We discuss the trauma of pregnancy and childbirth, the grief of giving up pieces of your life to raise children, and the differences between the US and Canadian systems.
Don't worry; we also talk about the joys of raising farm kids too.
To hear more of Caite and Arlene, find Barnyard LAnguage wherever you get your podcasts and follow them on IG @barnyardlanguage
Read MoreThe role of women in cheesemaking is a storied one with a rich history that spans centuries, but too often, it gets told in sidebar paragraphs in cheese books. Mary Casella is looking to change that. As the first recipient of the Daphne Zepos Research Award, she dug deep into the history of women cheesemaking, and she presented her findings through the stories of three women at the American Cheese Society annual conference. We talk about that research and gush a bit about the wonderful women that make up the cheese industry.
If you missed her presentation in Portland, keep an eye out on the DZTE social channels to sign up for the next time she is presenting.
https://www.dzte.org/
IG: @dzte2022
Follow Mary on IG: @mlkbtch
Photo of Mary by Al Pomper
Find me on IG: @the_mobile_monger
Read MoreAn affineur's job is to tend to cheese until it is ready for sale. It's not a part of the job in cheesemaking that gets much attention, but all aged cheese requires some level of attention. In this episode, I chat with Josh Windsor, Caves Manager at Murray's Cheese Cave in NYC.
Josh started sharing his philosophical and artistic musings from the caves on Instagram at the beginning of the pandemic. It feels like a portal to a secret realm that most are not privy to.
Follow Josh on IG @theaffineur
Buy some cheese that Josh likey handled: https://www.murrayscheese.com/cave-aged
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