education
Building a Practical Food Safety Operational Plan for Small Cheesemakers
Provisions International 42 N. Main Street, White River Junction, United StatesThis workshop, sponsored by the Vermont Cheese Council, will share information, forms and tools from the Center for Food Safety & Regulatory Solutions (CFSRS) and Allen Sayler that will allow small cheesemakers to work in teams and build their own food safety plans. The workshop will be made up of short presentations followed by working projects that will provide an opportunity for attendees to immediately apply the presentation information and build their own written operational sanitation programs, product descriptions, flow diagrams, risk-based hazard analyses for their cheeses. Written and implemented food safety plans are a basic requirement for cheesemakers trying to expand market for their cheeses outside of Vermont and are a public health requirement of the State of Vermont and the US Food & Drug Administration as well as many cheese buyers and cheese mongers. Get your food safety plan operational and functional so your company can grow, while minimizing the risk of food-borne outbreaks from your cheese. Instructor: Allen Sayler
Cheese Cultures Workshop
Provisions International 42 N. Main Street, White River Junction, United StatesWe all know that cheese is a living entity with a continuous cycle of microbiotic life assisting in the transformation of milk into great cheeses. The Vermont Cheese Council is proud to present Dave Potter of Dairy Connection and Margaret Peters-Morris of Glengarry Fine Cheese in a winter workshop focused on Cheese Cultures. The workshop will provide a greater understanding of the role of cultures in the development of cheese flavors, textures, aroma and rind throughout its aging process. Attendees should leave the workshop with enhanced skills in working with cultures to create distinctive cheeses.
Introduction to Cheesemaking
Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking 131 West Parish Road, Westminster West, United StatesPeter Dixon and Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking present 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. Complete details can be found here. 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 Registration information and policies can be found here.
Affinage: Techniques, Microbes and Facilities
Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking 131 West Parish Road, Westminster West, United StatesPeter Dixon and Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking present Affinage: Techniques, Microbes, & Facilities This workshop will explore the craft of cheesemaking, ripening, and grading cheese for sale, viewing the process from the point of view of the affineur. This combination of classroom instruction and discussion will include a trip to a local aging space for a tour of the facilities and discussion of affinage in practice. Participants are encouraged to bring cheeses for tasting and evaluation. Complete details can be found here. 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 Registration information and policies can be found here.
Advanced Cheesemaking
Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking 131 West Parish Road, Westminster West, United StatesPeter Dixon and Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking present Introduction to Cheesemaking Go beyond the basics of cheesemaking with these intensive sessions. For 6 days, 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 April 11-12 • Bloomy and Washed Rind April 13-14 • Alpine & Grana April 15-16 Advanced Cheesemaking sessions are for cheesemakers who have small-scale, licensed, commercialcheese 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. Complete details can be found here. 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 Registration information and policies can be found here.
Introduction to Cheesemaking with Peter Dixon
Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking 131 West Parish Road, Westminster West, United StatesThis 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. This session will be held in Westminster, VT. For availability, contact Rachel at Tel. 802.387.4041 or westminsterartisan@gmail.com Registration information and policies can be found here. Topics include: […]
Farmstead and Artisan Cheeses: From Concept to Commerce
Vermont Technical College 124 Admin Road, Randolph Center, VT, United StatesInstructor: Montserrat Almena-Aliste, Ph.D Artisan cheesemaking is a great fit for sustainable farming. As a value-added component of a sustainable farming plan, cheesemaking can be another step in the holistic cycle of land to food. Today, the United States has nearly 1,000 artisan cheesemakers, with more starting up each year. However, the path to success in is not always easy, in part due to the multiple factors involved in making good quality cheeses as well as the current competitive market.
Essential Principles and Practices of Cheesemaking
Vermont Technical College 124 Admin Road, Randolph Center, VT, United StatesInstructor: Montserrat Almena-Aliste, Ph.D. Chris Gray This five-day course is a practical and comprehensive technical guide to cheese technology and the principles governing the quality of cheese. During this intensive course, participants will learn the fundamentals of cheesemaking, quality control practices, and useful considerations in starting a small-scale cheesemaking business. The first section focuses on the chemistry of milk and the different aspects defining the quality of cheesemaking milk. The second part describes the principles of cheesemaking and the different families of cheese and also includes comprehensive hands-on demonstrations in making three different cheese styles: a fresh acid-coagulated soft cheese, a bloomy rind variety, and a semi-hard cheese. The last section of the program focuses on how to monitor and control the fundamental factors driving the quality of the product. This course is taught by Dr. Montserrat Almena-Aliste and cheesemaker Chris Gray. All cheesemaking exercises will be completed at the Vermont Tech - Norwich Farms . Please note there is the option to take this course for academic credit with an additional fee of $100. Lodging is available on campus for an additional fee at a very competitive rate. Please inquire call Rachel at (802) 728-1677.
Sensory Evaluation of Cheese
Vermont Technical College 124 Admin Road, Randolph Center, VT, United StatesInstructor: Montserrat Almena-Aliste, Ph.D. One of the main factors driving consumer choice is the sensory quality of the final product. This one-day workshop will provide you with the fundamental tools to control and define the sensory quality of cheese, offering basic sensory training to describe and record the sensory characteristics of your cheese, as well as resourceful information and quality control systems to prevent defects in cheese. This intensive course, offered by cheese technologist and sensory scientist Dr. Montserrat Almena-Aliste (former VIAC instructor), combines practical hands-on exercises with technical lectures, making it very interesting and enjoyable but at the same time offering very valuable information to prevent making, selling or buying defective products. The course is also an unique opportunity to improve your food sensory skills and the understanding of cheese quality to everyone involved with cheese, from beginners and advanced cheesemakers, marketing and sales representatives to quality managers, technicians, cheese mongers, chefs, and everyone else that would like to explore the fascinating world of cheese. Cheesemakers are welcome to bring samples of their products for evaluation to get practical feedback from Dr. Almena-Aliste.
The Art of Natural Cheesemaking with David Asher
Sterling College Craftsbury, VT, United States“The Art of Natural Cheesemaking” offers a well-rounded understanding of the opportunities available to safely and deliciously create value-added dairy products ecologically and without reliance on manufactured cultures. We will prepare many styles of cheese and study the stages of their evolution, gaining insight into how an array of cheeses can evolve from the very same milk, with the same culture, and the same rennet. Register at: https://sterlingcollege.edu/course/art-natural-cheesemaking/
The Fundamentals of Artisan Cheese Making
Sterling College Craftsbury, VT, United StatesFundamentals of Artisan Cheese is an intensive nine-day program for aspiring and practicing cheesemakers. Offered in partnership with the Cellars at Jasper Hill and led by world-renowned master cheesemaker and educator Ivan Larcher, this course provides students with the practical and scientific knowledge needed to create exquisite small-scale artisan cheese.
Introduction to Cheesemaking with Peter Dixon
Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking 131 West Parish Road, Westminster West, United StatesThis 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. This session will be held in Westminster, VT. For availability, contact Rachel at Tel. 802.387.4041 or westminsterartisan@gmail.com Registration information and policies can be found here.
Affinage: Techniques, Microbes and Facilities
Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking 131 West Parish Road, Westminster West, United StatesThis three-day workshop will explore the craft of cheesemaking, ripening, and grading cheese for sale, viewing the process from the point of view of the affineur. This combination of classroom instruction and discussion will include a trip to a local aging space 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 including Bloomy rind, Washed rind, Blue, Alpine, Grana, and Tomme Cheeses 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. For availability, contact Rachel at Tel. 802.387.4041 or westminsterartisan@gmail.com Registration information and policies can be found here.
Advanced Cheesemaking with Peter Dixon
Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking 131 West Parish Road, Westminster West, United StatesAdvanced Cheesemaking is designed for cheesemakers who have or work for small-scale, licensed, commercial cheese businesses and want to expand product lines, experiment with new cultures and recipes, and improve quality. The focus is on making, aging, and controlling quality, and the session will revolve around hands-on cheesemaking and thorough discussion. Advanced sessions elaborate upon the information presented in the introductory series and accommodate the experience levels of the participants. Cost is $1200 for six day workshop. Participants are invited to bring cheeses for tasting and group evaluation. This session will be held at Parish Hill Creamery & Farm, Westminster West, VT. For availability contact Rachel at 802.387.4041 or email westminsterartisan@gmail.com Registration information and policies can be found here.