Events for July 16, 2024 - July 16, 2024

The Slow Living Summit is a conference focused on the development of nurturing and supportive communities, bioregions and economic systems.

Join chefs, vintners and Vermont food producers at Waterfront Park in Burlington for a day of tastings, pairings and a silent auction to benefit SEABA, an art and industry partnership.

The Seventh Annual Vermont Cheesemakers Festival is an all-day celebration of Vermont cheesemakers and artisan food and beverage producers. Picked as a "Top Ten Summer Food Festival" by Fodor's, this is a not to be missed festival. Admission provides samples of all cheeses, foods and beverages.

HOSTED BY VERMONT FARMSTEAD CHEESE COMPANY and CASTLETON CRACKERS Welcome Mac & Cheese Lovers!!! Come join us at the 3rd celebration of the Great VT Mac & Cheese Challenge on September 13th, 2015 in Windsor, VT. Come sample Mac & Cheese dishes from top chefs and restaurants from around the region. Just $15 in advance ($20 at the door- if event is not sold out) for the event where you can sample 20 different Mac & Cheese dishes and cast your vote for the People's Choice Award! Harpoon Draft Beer available for purchase (cash bar), Live Music, Calf Petting Zoo, T-shirts for sale, Kids under 6 get in free... Rain or Shine! Don't miss it. NO PETS ALLOWED! SORRY- We love your furbabies, but space is limited. NO STROLLERS ALLOWED IN TENT AREA Please plan accordingly for your babies. We are adjusting the layout again this year, but no matter what it has been very hard - on parents and other attendees - for strollers to navigate the tent area. We kindly ask that you carry your baby or wear your baby in a carrier. We will have a designated area for stroller parking outside the tent if you would like to utilize your stroller in Artisan's Park. Thank you for understanding. A GOOD CAUSE - All proceeds will go to benefit Vermont Foodbank and Sustainable Woodstock. ** There may be limited options for Vegetarian & Gluten Free dishes.

Public board meeting for the board members of the Vermont Cheese Council.  All principal members are invited to attend

Join the members of the Massachusetts Cheese Guild to celebrate the 3rd Annual Massachusetts Cheese Festival! Award-winning artisan cheesemakers will sample and discuss their products, and dozens of Pairing Partners will showcase culinary products to accompany all that wonderful local cheese. Local chefs and cheesemakers will offer workshops and demonstrations throughout the afternoon. Meet our artisans, taste local food, wine and craft beers, and make some new friends! This is a day to sample, taste, learn and bring home some special treats. Please note that, because wine, beer and hard cider will be served, this is an over 21 event. Questions? Contact us at info@macheesefest.org

FSMA Preventive Controls Workshop The Food Safety Modernization Act became law in 2011 and its main component “Preventive Controls for Human Foods” will be finalized in 2015, with FDA enforcement starting in 2016. This Workshop is targeted at small dairy plants, providing them with: •An in-depth understanding of the FSMA “Preventive Controls for Human Foods” regulation. •Model food safety/HAACP/HARPC written programs that can be used as models for your operation. •Small group exercises to train you on ways to improve your food safety HAACP/HARPC programs. •Presentations on how to use environmental testing kits, ATP kits, and metal detection in your plant. •Review of model dairy plant programs on operational records. What FDA’s Preventive Controls for Human Foods requires for plant records and how to maintain an effective dairy plant records system. •Attendees successfully completing the Workshop and a short test will receive a certificate indicating you’ve met the requirements in “Preventive Controls for Human Foods for a Qualified Individual”. Each dairy plant is required to have one. Who should attend? Plant, Industry, Extension, and Regulatory personnel seeking to gain in-depth knowledge of HACCP/HARPC, Prerequisite Programs, and FSMA’s “Preventive Controls for Human Foods”. Those needing to obtain a “Qualified Individual” certification, as required by FSMA for dairy plants. Instructors: Mr. Allen Sayler, Managing Partner, Center for Food Safety & Regulatory Solutions, LLC Mr. Steve C. Murphy, Senior Extension Associate, Food Science, Cornell University Other Technical Experts on Environmental Monitoring, ATP, and metal detection

The Dairy Practices Council holds a three-day conference each fall to allow all Task Forces to meet simultaneously and to provide a forum where topics of common interest can be shared with the membership and other attendees. General sessions on Thursday and Friday feature topics of current interest to the Dairy Industry. The program covers topics ranging from the farm side to the plant/production/processing side of the industry. The six Task Forces meet Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, where guidelines are reviewed, revised, and written. Attendees can attend any or all six Task Force meetings and participate in writing and reviewing Guidelines. The conference is approved by several state departments of agriculture and health for fulfilling Continuing Education Credits towards the requirements under the Processing Plant Superintendant (PPS) and Certified Milk Inspector (CMI) Programs as outlined in the PMO. Attendees represent a cross section of the Dairy Industry from the US, Canada, and around the world. General session presentations, photos, and Business Meeting minutes from previous conferences can be found approximately three weeks after the conclusion of the Conference, in the "Past DPC Conference Archives" section below

Join Peter Dixon and the team from Westminster Artisan Cheese for this 6 day intensive workshop includes hands-on cheesemaking as well as information and discussion about cheese aging, facilities, equipment, regulations, sanitation and food safety, business planning, and creamery design. Topics include: Milk Properties Sheep Cow Goat Seasonal Milk Production Hands-On Cheesemaking: Mozzarella Ricotta or Ricottone Tomme Gouda Appenzeller Asiago Use of Starter & Ripening Cultures Brining Affinage Equipment Facilities for Small-Scale Commercial Cheesemaking FDA and State Regulations Sanitation and Development of Food Safety Programs Affinage for the Cheeses made in Class Creamery Design Business Planning: Financial Personnel Marketing This session will be held in Westminster, VT. Address and directions will be sent upon registration. For availability, contact Rachel at Tel. 802.387.4041 or westminsterartisan@gmail.com

Explore the craft of cheesemaking and ripening in this three-day workshop. We’ll make a Tomme cheese while viewing each step from the perspective of the affineur, then follow the steps for ripening this and other cheeses. This session will include a trip to a local creamery for a tour of the facilities and discussion of affinage in practice. Topics include: Selection and Use of Ripening Cultures Bio-reactions between Microbes, Enzymes, and Cheese Components Affinage Techniques for various cheeses, including Bloomy rind, Washed rind, Blue, Alpine, Grana, Caciocavallo/Provolone, and Tomme Cheese Grading and Quality Control, and Facility Design, Construction. and Maintenance of Cellars, Caves, and Brining/Drying Rooms Participants are encouraged to bring cheeses for tasting and evaluation. This session will be held in Westminster, VT. Address and directions will be sent upon registration. For availability, contact Rachel at Tel. 802.387.4041 or westminsterartisan@gmail.com  

Join Peter Dixon and the team at Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking and go beyond the basics of cheesemaking with these intensive sessions. The focus is on making, aging, and controlling quality, and the sessions will revolve around hands-on cheesemaking and thorough discussion. The Blues: Soft-Ripened to Stilton • Bloomy and Washed Rind • Alpine & Grana Advanced Cheesemaking sessions are for cheesemakers who have small-scale, licensed, commercial cheese businesses and want to expand product lines, experiment with new cultures and recipes, and improve quality. Participants are invited to bring cheeses for tasting and evaluation. In each session we will cover: Starter and Ripening Cultures • Cheesemaking Recipe Development • Specific Cheese Aging Techniques • Equipment & Facilities • Food Safety • Cheese Grading & Quality Control These sessions will be held in Westminster, VT. Address and directions will be sent upon registration. For availability contact Rachel at 802.387.4041 or email westminsterartisan@gmail.com

Introduction to Cheesemaking This 6 day intensive workshop includes hands-on cheesemaking as well as information and discussion about cheese aging, facilities, equipment, regulations, sanitation and food safety, business planning, and creamery design. Topics include: Milk Properties: Sheep Cow Goat Seasonal Milk Production Hands-On Cheesemaking: Mozzarella Ricotta or Ricottone Tomme Gouda Appenzeller Asiago Use of Starter & Ripening Cultures Brining Affinage Equipment Facilities for Small-Scale Commercial Cheesemaking FDA and State Regulations Sanitation and Development of Food Safety Programs Affinage for the Cheeses made in Class Creamery Design Business Planning: Financial Personnel Marketing This session will be held in Westminster, VT. Address and directions will be sent upon registration. For availability, contact Rachel at Tel. 802.387.4041 or westminsterartisan@gmail.com

Deadline for Entries: February 5, 2016

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Foods (PCHF) requires each food processing plant to have at least one designated Preventive Control Qualified Individual (PCQI) to oversee and be primarily responsible for the processing plant's food safety and preventive controls program.   Who Should Attend:  Food safety and quality professionals at facility and/or corporate locations who are either responsible for or involved in the development of the Food Safety Plan(s). See attached course details.   ***ONLY 20 spaces available. REGISTER as a business through responding to this email. PLEASE list names of all employees attending. CONTACT Kathy Lavoie at 782-1924 or Kathy.Lavoie2@myfairpoint.net with questions.   Sponsor: Franklin Grand Isle Workforce Investment Board                              Date: March 28th – 30th, 2016 Discounted Cost Through FGIWIB: $595.00 Location: Swanton, Vermont, 05488 10 Precision Lane   Training Providor: CFSRS (Center for Food Safety and Regulatory Solutions) Allen Sayler http://www.cfsrs.com/home.html    Allen Sayler provided many of you HACCP training last March. I received outstanding reviews from many of you regarding Mr. Sayler's level of knowledge and instruction.   This workshop, led by Allen Sayler an FSPCA qualified "Lead Instructor", will provide practical information to attendees on the FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Foods requirements to be implemented by food processing plants and enforced by FDA starting for large plants in mid-September 2016.  The OFFICIAL FSPCA FSMA “Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Workshop” is targeted at individuals primarily responsible for food safety and preventive control programs at the food processing plant and at the corporate level.    The workshop will include working exercises and quizzes at the end of each Chapter to reinforce the training material that indicates how to build a FSMA PCHF compliant food safety plan and preventive control program. Successful completion will result in the attendee achieving "Preventive Controls Qualified Individual Certification".   At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will have the knowledge and tools to: Understand and have the capability of developing a FSMA-compliant Preventive Controls Food Safety Plan that includes written Preventive Control Programs, Prerequisite Programs and other programs to deliver a preventive versus reactive food safety program and culture in food processing plants. Analyze the many possible biological, chemical, and physical hazards in order to identify hazards of concern specific to a food processing plant’s raw materials, ingredients, in-process systems, primary packaging based on the food safety characteristic of the finished food. Understand the building blocks for effective written and implemented process control and sanitation control programs. Conduct credible root cause analyses as part of a required corrective action/correction program Build effective and compliant supply chain management and verification programs Develop and test food raw material, ingredient and finished product recall programs Utilize the written preventive control, prerequisite and other programs to build and effectively maintain a records system to provide evidence that a food plant’s food safety program is working on a daily basis. Implement practical verification and validation programs to ensure a plant’s food safety program is consistently effective.