ABOUT THE EVENT
This two-day virtual/online event is designed to provide exposure to new ideas and educational experiences for artisan cheesemakers – to help them advance their cheesemaking and business practices, as well as our industry as a whole. While our content focuses on information to support professional cheesemakers, attendance is open to all, including other cheese industry professionals, amateur cheesemakers, the general public, and anyone who wants to dive more deeply into the world of cheese.
PRESENTATIONS WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE TO WATCH AT LEAST THROUGH THE END OF MARCH – in case you need to step away to milk, make cheese, deliver cheese, etc.
DATES
Thursday, February 15 – Friday, February 16, 2024
RECORDING SESSIONS
We record all of our sessions. If you have to step away to milk animals, make cheese, check in with kids, or anything else – you can go back to the Sched.com event platform and rewatch sessions through any session’s Details Page THROUGH MARCH 30.
PRESENTATION TOPICS
See the full schedule and lineup on our conference platform!
- Deep Dive: The Latest in Milk Quality Research for Traditional Cheese Production We will dive into research being conducted at INRAE (the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment): How farm factors and diversity can impact milk quality for traditional cheese production (with a focus on the link between terroir and cheese) and research across multiple European countries to better understand the relationship between different farming styles and factors and the qualities of milk (https://h2020-intaqt.eu). PRESENTER: Bruno Martin works at the INRAE Joint Research Unit on Herbivores. His expertise is in cattle product quality, particularly milk and dairy products related to husbandry systems and practices as well as in farm sustainability. He has 20+ years of experience in French and European research and development.
- Deep Dive: Food Safety & Affinage—What are the Risks in MY Affinage Process? In this presentation, we will start with a wholistic approach to food safety by identifying the hot spots in aging rooms that pose risks to most cheeses, and then dive deeper into areas of concern for higher-risk cheese varieties and affinage practices. PRESENTER: Kerry E. Kaylegian, Ph.D. is an Associate Research Professor at the Pennsylvania State University. Kerry provides technical support, delivers training programs, and conducts research on the safety and quality of dairy products domestically and internationally.
- Deep Dive: Feed and Its Effect on Cheesemaking—The Rumen/Curd Relationship A standardized curd-measuring technique on the farm can allow you to make useful links between feed and the cheesemaking quality of milk. In this presentation, we will present on research for this approach, as verified by following 35 farms over three months. Information about “what not to do with feed” will be presented, along with examples linked to how the curd will behave and how much cheese the milk will yield. PRESENTERS: Bruno Giboudeau is a practicing veterinary surgeon and researcher; since 2002, he has conducted research on the cheesemaking aptitude of milk according to herd diet. Edward De Beukelaer is a veterinary surgeon who has worked alongside Bruno in making these methodologies available to farmers.
- Happy Hour: Virtual Tour of Brazil’s Queijaria BelaFazenda Join us for a virtual tour of BelaFazenda’s dairy farm, creamery, and aging rooms, located two hours from São Paulo. From the milk of its herd of Jersey cows, BelaFazenda produces award-winning cheeses inspired by traditional offerings, including Sinueiro (à la English cheddar), Azul de Bofete (a creamy bleu), and Duzu (à la Italian gorgonzola). Since 2019, seven BelaFazenda cheeses have won 6 Bronze, 4 Silver, and 5 Gold medals at competitions in France, Brazil, and Norway. PRESENTER: Carolina Vilhena has been a veterinarian for 20 years, specializing in ruminant production. In 2016, she founded BelaFazenda on her family’s farm in Bofete, Brazil, putting into practice what she learned in dozens of cheesemaking courses in Brazil, France, Italy, and the United States.
- In the Make Room: Integrating Comparative Process Improvements Sometimes the best way to get new ideas is by visiting other cheesemakers! In this presentation, cheesemakers Peter Dixon and Rachel Fritz Schaal share some useful and surprising lessons learned on the road visiting and working with cheesemakers. PRESENTERS: Peter Dixon and Rachel Fritz Schaal make raw milk cheese with autochthonous cultures at Parish Hill Creamery, and offer consultations and workshops for artisan cheesemakers through Dairy Foods Consulting and Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking in Westminster West, Vermont.
- A Conversation with Distributors and Buyers Join us for a conversation with cheese distributors and buyers to learn about what they look for in cheese producers/cheeses, what they avoid, and how to best connect and build relationships with them! PRESENTERS: Mike Baptista of Ripe Specialty Foods of Alexandria, VA and Maggie Bradshaw of Truckle Cheesemongers of Richmond, VA.
- Managing Self-Care When Working in the Food Industry There is a massive shift in thinking when it comes to mental health and well-being at work, and food industries are no exception. In this session, we will discuss what mental health support can look like in the workplace, the challenges we face, and some small and large steps we can take to move forward into a healthier future. PRESENTER: Laura Louise Green, LPC is a psychotherapist and founder of Healthy Pour, a consultancy that helps organizations address issues of well-being in the workplace.
- Recruitment and Retention with an Equity Lens Participants will explore how to intentionally effect more equitable practices and create more equitable outcomes when building and maintaining a diverse, representative, engaged, and empowered workforce—one that reflects the diversity of the community. PRESENTER: Christina Chang is a race and equity consultant based in Seattle.
- Business Exit Planning & Considerations As cheese producers and dairy farmers start to think about their exit strategies—there are lots of challenges and questions. We’d like to start having this conversation more publicly to help address these challenges. Should you put your land and farm in a trust? Should you sell your cheesemaking business separately? What are the pitfalls to think about? Where are the systems around us working…or not?! Let’s discuss! PRESENTERS: Kate Turcotte and Mike Ghia, Maine and Vermont Field Agents for Land For Good.
Every single one of our sessions is designed to have learning components – things we hope will provide you with ideas and helpful information!
PRICING & REGISTRATION
2-day Early Bird Attendee Pass – $95. Only available through end of December 2023.
2-day Regular Attendee Pass – $110. Available January 1, 2024 through the event.
1-day Regular Attendee Pass – $65.
Vermont Cheese Council Members Discount 20% off (please reach out for this promo code or look for it in your membership e-news)
Member of Partner Guilds: If you belong to one of these guilds, please ask your leadership for your discount code to receive 20% off your attendee passes: California, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin.
If you would like to participate in our guild marketing partnerships, please email Claire Natola at claire (at) vtcheese.com.
We are also offering free conference access for anyone who registers for our online course, The Science of Farmstead Cheese (see next section on this page for more info).
A limited number of full-registration scholarships are available, courtesy of the American Cheese Society and Cabot Creamery. To apply, please submit this form. Scholarships to be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
*** SPECIAL OFFER WITH “THE SCIENCE OF FARMSTEAD CHEESE” ONLINE COURSE
For anyone who purchases our online course The Science of Farmstead Cheese between now and Sunday, February 11, 2024, we will offer one complimentary free attendee pass to this conference – a great discount for those looking for both a fun conference experience and a deeper look at the science of cheesemaking. (Does not apply with VCC member discount for course.)
AN ENORMOUS THANK-YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
WHO HELP THIS EVENT BE FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE FOR CHEESEMAKERS/KEEP OUR ATTENDEE PRICING DOWN!
VCC’S 2024 PLATINUM SPONSOR
SILVER LEVEL SPONSORS
SUPPORTER LEVEL SPONSORS
INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR SPONSORS?
Sponsors play an important role in our event, in that they become part of our team by helping to make the event affordable for all who attend. Our goal is to continue to offer access to world-class knowledge at an affordable price – and every sponsor who supports us can help with that. We hope you will join us in this effort!
We are offering sponsorship levels for organizations big and small! If interested in more information, please reach out to chelsea (at) vtcheese.com.