As I posted earlier today, the entire culture crew is in Raleigh, North Carolina, cheesing at the 29th annual ACS conference. In addition to Day Three highlights, we'll have an exclusive on the Best in Show winners (out of 1,711 entries, and 122 categories), just minutes after they’ve been announced, so stay tuned!

Today’s been another whirlwind of seminars interspersed with networking and socializing with friends old and new (and lots of cheese nibbles in between). My favorite seminar thus far was a panel on “Romance & Reality: Translating Cheese Info. For Consumers.”  The next time a cheesemonger shoves a sample in your mouth before answering your questions, bear this in mind: sometimes a cheese is so amazing, it defies description. Tasting is often more effective than mere words.

Other seminars included North Carolina’s Bounty of Fermented Foods, Recruiting, Encouraging, and Assisting the Next Generation (cheesemongering is one of the hottest occupations for young adults, and yes, we want you), and Animal Welfare Approved (happily, emphasis is growing on the subject of humane livestock management.

The Awards Ceremony is minutes away as I write; by the time you read this, I’ll be at a Champagne Toast to the 2012 Winners. Congrats to the producers and dairy farmers out there who are revolutionizing the American cheese scene. We love you.