The Vermont Cheese Summit includes two days of organized creamery visits, educational programs, and one-on-one sampling sessions! It’s all about connecting cheese wholesale buyers and food professionals to Vermont cheesemakers!
This event occurs at the tail end of Vermont Cheese Week—a weeklong celebration of all things cheesy in the state. Learn more about the whole week here.
Saturday Tours
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024
Wholesale buyers, retailers, and all industry professionals will be able to visit cheese producers at their sites for a tour day.
See unique spaces first-hand and meet cheesemakers in intimate settings in tours offered around the state! Tours have limited capacities, and we recommend purchasing your Summit tickets as early as you are able. VCC does not provide transportation for tours, so you can pick and choose the sites that most interest you. We provide guidance on selecting tours, travel planning between sites, and planning visits on our sched.com website that manages tour and Summit registration here.
Sunday Sampling & Education Day
SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
Sunday offers two education sessions, one interactive group discussion for our whole community, and time for one-on-one sampling and conversation with Vermont’s cheese producers.
This is a great opportunity for industry buyers to network with each other, cheese producers, and distributors!
Location: The entire day takes place at Basin Harbor Resort, 4800 Basin Harbor Rd, Vergennes, VT 05491
Sunday Schedule
8:45 AM Arrival and Coffee
9:15 AM Welcome
9:30 AM Panel Presentation: Packaging Innovation — Join four of Vermont’s cheese producers as they present their findings from sustainable packaging research funded by a grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center. Presenters: Eliza Leeper, Vermont Creamery; Jessica Riley, Cabot Creamery Cooperative; Zoe Brickley, Jasper Hill; Lucas Farrell, Big Picture Farm; Facilitator: Jed Davis, Cabot Creamery Cooperative
10:30 AM Industry Group Discussion: Collaborations — How can we all work together better? What do distributors and retailers need from cheese producers to more effectively sell and market their cheese? What help do cheese producers need from those tasked with championing their products? Which parts of the marketing and distribution system work well right now—and where do you wish it worked better? Which aspects of your work and workplace do you love, and which do you need assistance with? Facilitators: Claire Natola, Vermont Cheese Council Education Coordinator; Zoe Brickley, Jasper Hill
11:15 AM – 2 PM Sampling Tent Open for Tastings, Cheese Buying, and Conversation with Cheese Producers
11:15 AM – 2 PM Lunch
2 PM Panel Presentation: A Day in the Life — Get a peek into the everyday life of being a cheesemaker! Presenters: Liz Bleakley, Good Hands Creamery; Carleton Yoder, Champlain Valley Creamery; Peter Dixon, Parish Hill Creamery
2:45 PM Closing Remarks
Saturday Tours
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024
Wholesale buyers, retailers, mongers and all industry professionals will be able to visit cheese producers at their sites for a tour day.
See unique spaces first-hand and meet cheesemakers in intimate settings in tours offered around the state! Tours have limited capacities, and we recommend purchasing your Summit tickets as early as you are able. VCC does not provide transportation for tours, so that you can pick and choose the sites that most interest you. We provide guidance on selecting tours, travel planning between sites, and planning visits on our sched.com website that manages tour and Summit registration here.
Sunday Sampling
SEPTEMBER 15, 2024
Sunday offers two education sessions, one interactive group discussion for our whole community, and time for one-on-one sampling and conversation with Vermont’s cheese producers.
This is a great opportunity for industry buyers to network with each other, cheese producers, and distributors!
Location: The entire day takes place at Basin Harbor Resort, 4800 Basin Harbor Rd, Vergennes, VT 05491
Sunday Schedule
8:45 AM Arrival and Coffee
9:15 AM Welcome
9:30 AM Panel Presentation: Packaging Innovation — Join four of Vermont’s cheese producers as they present their findings from sustainable packaging research funded by a grant from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center. Presenters: Eliza Leeper, Vermont Creamery; Jessica Riley, Cabot Creamery Cooperative; Zoe Brickley, Jasper Hill; Lucas Farrell, Big Picture Farm; Facilitator: Jed Davis, Cabot Creamery Cooperative
10:30 AM Industry Group Discussion: Collaborations — How can we all work together better? What do distributors and retailers need from cheese producers to more effectively sell and market their cheese? What help do cheese producers need from those tasked with championing their products? Which parts of the marketing and distribution system work well right now—and where do you wish it worked better? Which aspects of your work and workplace do you love, and which do you need assistance with? Facilitators: Claire Natola, Vermont Cheese Council Education Coordinator; Zoe Brickley, Jasper Hill
11:15 AM – 2 PM Sampling Tent Open for Tastings, Cheese Buying, and Conversation with Cheese Producers
11:15 AM – 2 PM Lunch
2 PM Panel Presentation: A Day in the Life — Get a peek into the everyday life of being a cheesemaker! Presenters: Liz Bleakley, Good Hands Creamery; Carleton Yoder, Champlain Valley Creamery; Peter Dixon, Parish Hill Creamery
2:45 PM Closing Remarks
Summit Sponsors
Our gratitude to these sponsors that make our Summit possible!
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
DISTRIBUTOR SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
DISTRIBUTOR SPONSORS
Lodging Partners
Visit our lodging partners page to explore by region.
Vermont is a small state, but it’s easy to get far a-field here. Be sure to take into account travel time to our Sunday Summit location in Vergennes, as well as Saturday tours, when making lodging reservations.
Contact Us
Questions about the Vermont Cheese Summit?
info@vtcheese.com